The Monster Within
by Number Ten
Summary: Sequel to Turn for the Worst. Even though Emma is now safe, the trauma that she endured will not go away that easily. With her abductor still out there, she fears for the safety of those she loves and that he is not done. Can Emma get help and heal in preparation for her new baby? Can she move on with the help of Killian, Henry, and her friends? Will her abductor ever see justice?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Emma cradles her newborn daughter in her arms. She's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen in her life, besides Henry. The little one stares up at her with Killian's hypnotic blue eyes and her mother is immediately taken in by them. The infant has very light hair, indicating she will be blonde like her other and it glows in the morning light. The baby gurgles happily and reaches her fist up towards Emma's face. The new mother takes the tiny hand and kisses it gently.

"You're my little princess," she says softly.

"She's very beautiful," Killian says, appearing suddenly in the room. Emma looks up at him, smiling happily. "Just like her mother."

He comes and sits next to her on the couch. He offers the baby one of his fingers and she grabs it with her whole fist, squeezing it.

Emma wipes a few tears from her eyes. She never thought that this is how her life would go and after her unfortunate abduction, she just wanted things to be normal. Yet, she was glad she had the new baby in her arms, a product of her and Killian's love, not the other way around. She would never have imagined a sort of happy family life, but with this new life in her arms, she felt joy and love. It's what made her strong and capable of moving on from her traumatic incident. But now, she had a loving husband, a happy son, a warm home and a precious child… everything felt perfect.

Suddenly the door bell rings.

"I'll get it," Henry calls. He goes to the door and opens it. Emma and Killian continue fawning over the baby until they hear.

"W-Who are you?"

Suddenly a gunshot rings out and Emma watches in horror as her son collapses on the ground, a bullet hole in his head.

"HENRY!" Emma screams in horror, she wants to jump up but with the baby, in her arms, it's almost impossible. Her heart stops and her entire world collapses as a pool of blood begins to form around her son's pale face. Tears burn her eyes and her stomach twists in agony. Her daughter begins crying at the noise, making Emma's pain all the more intense.

Killian stands in front of his wife and daughter, prepared to protect her at all costs. A man who had fired the shot comes from behind the door and Emma gasps in horror. A face she never wanted to see again, hidden under a ball cap. His thick body was hidden under a sort of trench coat and a silver pistol that killed her son is pointed at them. His dark eyes seem to burn into Emma's soul and he grins, happy at the horrific deed he'd just done.

"I'd thought I'd find you here," he says in the harsh voice that still made Emma's blood run cold. "You can't hide from me forever."

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Killian yells, he grabs a vase and breaks it in half to use as a weapon.

"Sorry, but I've come to collect what's mine…"

"SHE'S NOT YOURS!" Emma shouts angrily. "SHE'LL NEVER BE YOURS!"

"I still deserve payment, so all that torture wasn't in vain."

Arthur continues to point the gun at the three of them, the only thing drowning out Emma's heartbeat are the terrified screams of her infant daughter. He steps towards her, Killian carefully tries to approach, wanting to use a shard of the vase as a knife.

"KILLIAN DON'T!" Emma screeches.

But it's too late, her husband charges at the man and another dreaded crack echoes through the room. Killian collapses on the ground, a bullet hole in his chest. Emma screams again, her face a waterfall of tears. Her docks man lies on the ground, gasping for air. He looks at Emma helplessly and she tries to reach him, but before he can, Arthur puts another bullet in his head. Killian instantly stops moving.

Emma falls to her knees in agony. She's lost the most important things in her life, all that is left is their daughter. She wants to fight, but her body won't move. The baby screams in her arms and she knows she must run, she can't fight. Emma turns and tries to force her body to move, but her feet are like cement. The baby's wails echo in her head as she runs for a possible exit.

A sharp pain hits her shoulder and Emma screams out in pain. She feels the bullet go straight through her shoulder and blood begins flowing through her t-shirt. Her daughter is now covered in blood, still wailing. The sound is inhumane, the worst noise in the world and it chills her mother to her very soul. Emma turns and crumples onto her back on the floor as to not harm her baby. Her entire body is in pain and she feels as if she's lost control. She gasps in agony and she feels something against her chest. She opens her eyes to see Arthur ripping the infant from her arms.

"NO!" Emma yells, but her body cannot do anything to save her child. She's basically a bloody mess on the floor that can only watch in horror and helplessness.

Arthur puts the baby over his shoulder and grins at her.

"She is really beautiful and she deserves a family that is not dead," he says.

Emma struggles to get up, but then Arthur points the weapon in her face and all she can see is the darkness of the barrel of the gun.

The dreaded sound is heard.

…

Emma bolts up in bed, she's panting like crazy. Her entire side of the bed is wet from crying and sweating. Her heart is racing and her head is throbbing in confusion and adrenaline. She turns on the light in a frenzy.

"What's wrong, Swan?"

Emma turns to see Killian squinting in the sudden light of the room. His face raised from the pillow. Emma immediately reaches over to hug him.

"Y-You're alive!" she gasps.

"Of course, I'm alive," he says. The docks man sits up to return her hug.

"Henry!" Emma suddenly says. Without another word, she rushes down the hall of the apartment to her son's room. She looks in to see him fast asleep, snuggled up under the covers.

Emma lets out a sigh of relief. Killian comes up behind her, very worried.

"Emma, are you okay?"

She looks at him and then nearly collapses against the door frame. She sits on the floor and curls up into a ball. She lets the waterworks come.

"Swan…Emma," Killian says, he kneels down next to her and tries to put his arms around her.

"Don't touch me!" she snaps but continues to cry.

He obeys and just watches her. It was only the third night after her return from captivity and the hospital, and Killian felt like he was living with a total stranger. His heart went out to Emma and he wanted to just take her into his arms and comfort her. He knew the horrors that she endured would likely cause nightmares and traumatic memories, but he still suffered too. He watched the woman he loved cry out and be unable to show affection. She is much quieter than ever before, she's emotional, jumpy and she couldn't stand being alone, which is why he was staying with her and Henry, to be there for them and the baby. She insisted that he sleep in bed with her, but she wouldn't let him touch her. He begins to worry about their unborn child, clearly, this kind of stress was not good for either of them. He wants to help her, but the comfort and reassurance that he offers just makes her uncomfortable and even worse.

"Emma… I'm here Love."

She continues to sob and shake in her tiny ball. The world felt so wrong, so evil. Arthur's face continued to haunt her. She kept dreaming about losing those she loved and it was pure torture. She was tired and always worried about if everyone was safe.

The docks man felt so helpless, it was torture to watch his girlfriend suffer and there was nothing he could do. Gone were the happy moments of reunion and it seemed that this bastard was haunting her every moment of the day. Killian just waits until Emma's sobbing slows down to a whimper and then finally just sniffing.

He cautiously puts his hand out to her shoulder.

She shudders slightly but doesn't resist.

"Emma…" he says quietly.

She looks at him through the dark and even in the dimness, she can still see his eyes. Those eyes that just a few moments ago were lifeless and full of pain.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He couldn't understand what she was feeling. The fear, the pain, the horrors she endured. She felt so weak and she knew he wouldn't understand. She just shakes her head.

"I-I'll be okay…" she whispers as convincingly as she can.

Her bright-eyed boyfriend offers his arms out to her and with reluctance, she leans into them. His strong arms squeeze her tightly and he rubs her bare shoulders.

"Emma, it's all over and I'm here to protect you," he says as soothingly as he can. He knows this is all he can really say to her. There's nothing he can do to make her feel better except to be there for her. He knows she's going to have to get professional help of some kind. The nightmares and stress were not healthy for her or the baby. He knew he'd have to make some calls in the morning.

It felt so strange to see Emma so vulnerable. She always tried to mask her pain and be strong for everyone, build those walls to avoid pain, but now, she was a shivering mess. So, afraid, like a child scared of the dark. Now she was trying to hide that again, but this time the façade was not working.

The two sit in the hall in the dark, it's so quiet, Emma almost feels safe again. She enjoys the feeling of his chest rising up and down, it's almost soothing and the warmth of his body against hers. Emma lets out a conflicted sigh and shuts her eyes.

Soon the two are both fast asleep in each other's arms.

 _I'M BACK! Here's the chapter 1. Special thanks to COTT FAN for inspiring the new title._


	2. Chapter 2

Both Emma and Killian are woken up by the sound of knocking at the front door. The two blink sleep out of their eyes and look at one another. Both are stiff from sleeping against the wall and one another.

"I've got it!" Henry's voice drifts from the front room.

Emma's heart begins to pound loudly, this was like déjà vu, except the baby is not around yet.

"Henry Wait," Emma says scrambling up and going towards her son.

"What Mom? It's just Mary Margret and David," he says opening the door.

Sure enough, the couple with their baby in a carrier, stand with what looks like supplies in their hands. Mary Margret has a big grin on her face and David has more of a forced smile.

"Good morning," she chirps happily, walking right in. "How are we this morning?"

Emma frowns and stretches her back before heading into the kitchen.

"David and I thought we'd stop by and make a nice breakfast for everyone. After all, it is Saturday and you had nothing else going on, right?"

Killian bites his lip and gets up from the floor. "Aye, I suppose not."

David gives an apologetic look before bringing the supplies and their son into the apartment. Emma forces a smile before offering to help with the arm fulls of groceries.

"No, no, Emma, you take it easy and get to know Jacob better. David and I have this," the teacher insists.

David gives Emma the baby bucket, in which Jacob is gurgling and looking around. It shouldn't be too interesting to the three-month-old after all this apartment basically became his second home while she was missing.

Emma can't really say anything before Mary Margret becomes busy in her kitchen, David following behind.

Emma brings the baby boy over to the couch and places him there. She gazes into his blue eyes, David's eyes. He wears a little hat with sheep on it and is dressed in a gray snowsuit. She stares down at the rosy-cheeked baby before attempting to unbuckle him. Her fingers fumble with the buttons and she winces slightly considering her hands are still healing. Jacob looks at her intently, as if he expects her to know what to do. She continues to struggle until Henry looks up from his phone.

"Here Mom," he says. He was used to helping care for Jacob when the Nolans were living in the apartment. He undoes the straps and then Emma slowly lifts him out of the bucket. His head wobbles slightly but his blue eyes continue to take in Emma's appearance. She then removes the snowsuit and hat, revealing a patch of dark hair that matched his mother's. He looked so much like his parents it was hard to deny.

Jacob reaches his tiny fists out, throwing them up and down as if he were waving at her. Emma swallows hard and then tries to cradle him. It's rather awkward and those involved both show signs of discomfort. It had been a long time since she'd done this and was especially uneasy.

Again, Henry comes to her rescue and helps her position Jacob in her arms. Once he's more comfortable, Jacob smiles up at Emma and coos contently. Henry reaches down and grabs one of the baby's many toys. This one is a colourful teething rattle. He hands it to his mom and she shakes it. Jacob lets out happy noises and flaps his arms up and down in excitement. Emma shakes it faster and he gurgles with delight. The happy, toothless smile, along with the bright eyes and chubby cheeks allow Emma to smile a little too. Despite how long it's been since she'd handled a baby, he was safe and happy, that's what was important.

Meanwhile, as Mary Margret mixes batter for blueberry pancakes, David brews some coffee and hands a cup to Killian. Both men sit and watch the interaction between Emma and Jacob. Killian's heart swells a little bit, happy to see a smile on his beloved's face, but at the same time, his stomach turns. Like Emma, he was out of practice with babies, but unlike Emma, he'd never raised a child at all. Henry was an amazing kid and both parents did a good job with him, but the docks man was a different story. He never really had a mother and his father abandoned him and Liam at the first chance he got. Killian knows he would be a poor excuse for a father at all to the daughter they are expecting. He knew that one day he'd want to be a father, he thought about it with Milah at one point, but now, it was with Emma. She was such a perfect woman and he did want to spend his life with her. It's just that the baby and family is happening awfully fast. He'd always assumed they should get married first, but things happened and now they are here. Plus, Henry was another factor to consider. He was a teenage boy and already had a father. The last thing Emma needed was her son becoming angry or running away because the docks man is trying to replace his real father. Of course, Neal did leave them and did not consider himself "father material." But Killian wanted to be ready, he wanted to be better than his father, Gold, and Neal. How could he do that without losing Emma, Henry, and their daughter?

"What's it like?" Killian asks David.

"What's it like to do what?" David asks.

"What's it like being a father?"

David frowns and looks at the dark-haired man for a moment.

"It's not easy if that's what you're thinking. It's a lot of sleepless nights, dirty diapers, three o'clock feedings, messy houses and balancing a career, but through it all… It's the best job in the world."

The two men sip their coffees and watch as Emma begins tickling Jacob and then Henry.

"Stop it Mom!" the teen howls.

"It's worth all the stress just to see something so small and so precious grow and feel loved."

Killian swallows hard.

"It's the most rewarding experience in the world. From the first moment that you lay eyes on them, you know you will never love something as much in the whole world, except maybe your wife."

The police officer looks over to see his wife humming to herself and flipping pancakes in a frying pan.

"You both know that you did this for a reason and the gift is the most beautiful thing in the world…"

Killian gives a small smirk. "Emma might rival the young Lad in that respect."

David sips his coffee before going on.

"There's nothing you can really do to prepare for being a father. You learn as you go. Fortunately, no one expects you to be perfect and the baby doesn't care otherwise. Why do you ask?"

Killian looks at his beloved girlfriend for a moment before turning to David. He runs a hand through his dark hair.

"I don't exactly have much to go on in terms of being a father. My dad left Liam and me when we were young lads, went off and had another family and even then, he's hardly father of the year. I never got to do the typical father-son things like fishing or playing catch. He never taught me how to ride a bike or how to kiss a girl. I had to learn most of that from my brother or on my own. My life has hardly been ideal and I guess…"

"You're afraid you're going to be a bad father?"

Killian nods. "Aye."

"You're not alone," the police officer says, putting a hand on his shoulder. "My father was an alcoholic and it got to the point where my mother was running the family farm. It wasn't until one night, my poor excuse for a father went driving while impaired and got himself killed. It was devastating to all of us, but it was also kind of a relief. He wasn't suffering anymore and wasn't dragging us down either."

"I didn't know you grew up on a farm."

"Yeah, I was born and raised in Wisconsin. We owned a sheep farm. Life wasn't easy, but we managed until my father got involved in a bad business deal and lost a lot of our land. That's what drove him to drink his sorrows away…"

Killian nods, relating quite effectively to David's father. He swallows hard thinking that his drinking and driving act could've very well ended his life and he'd never have the chance to be a father.

"After his death, my mother and I worked to keep the farm open, but my twin brother ran off."

"You have a twin brother?"

"Yeah, it's my best-kept secret. We're identical too, but we're very different people. James ran off as soon as he could, while I worked to keep what was left of our family together. My mother and I never gave up on one another and we stayed close. She supported me through all my endeavors. We eventually sold the farm and saved up enough money for both my mother and me to move to the city. I entered the police academy and graduated with my mother standing proud. She still brags to the people in Florida about how proud she is of me."

Killian smiles. At least David had a loving mother to love and support him all his life.

"What about your brother?"

The cop shrugs. "A wreck loose does odd jobs, couch surfs, we kind of lost track of him. Last, I heard he was gambling money at a horse race and got in trouble. I pulled a few strings to bail him out. If you want, I have his record on file."

"I'll pass Mate."

"My point being, your father's actions do not define who you will be to your child. I vowed to never be like my father and be there for my wife and children."

"I took a similar pledge," Killian says, taking another sip of coffee. "It's just the children part is happening very quickly."

David pats him on the shoulder. "You still have time to prepare."

"Breakfast is ready," Mary Margret chirps. "Come and get it."

David stands up and goes over to his wife.

"Smells delicious," he murmurs, hugging her from behind. He begins kissing her neck. She laughs and swats him with the spatula.

Killian gazes at the loving couple and then over at Emma. Henry takes Jacob to the table and Emma puts her hands over her face for a few moments. He becomes concerned by this. He wonders what must be coursing through her mind. He knows he must find her some help. Despite Mary Margret's obvious efforts to make positive memories and experiences, it's not enough. They cannot just ignore what's happened to them. Emma needs help.

Maybe they all needed help?

 _Some David back story. Does anyone catch the pancakes reference from last week's episode?_


	3. Chapter 3

"I just don't know how to convince her," Killian sighs.

He's found his way to _Granny's_ restaurant to talk with Ruby, Regina, and Elsa, some of Emma's most trusted friends over milkshakes and fries.

"It's clear she's going to need professional help," Regina says before sipping her milkshake. Ruby stands behind the counter cleaning up after the lunch rush and talking to her friends. "No one can go through what she's experienced and come out unscathed."

"And you said it's already showing?" Elsa asks.

"Aye, she's been waking up screaming bloody murder in the night. She avoids physical contact with anybody. Her hands shake, she's much quieter than ever before, she cries all the time…"

"Jeez," Ruby says.

"That can't be healthy," Elsa says.

"It's not. Emma may be strong, but a person can only bend for so long. It's only a matter a time before she breaks," Regina says. "And with the baby… The stress is terrible for it. Mary Margret is living witness to that."

Killian sighs and runs his hand through his hair. Elsa pats him on the shoulder as a sign of comfort. He's never been put into such a situation before. He's worried about Emma and their baby. He also has concerns for Henry and himself.

"To be honest I haven't been sleeping well either," he admits.

"It sounds like we all need help," Ruby agrees.

"It's true, these kinds of things will not go away magically. We're going to have to work through it," Regina says.

"But you know Emma, she won't burden other people with her problems and she hides behind those walls," Elsa says.

"Well then Killian is going to have to smash those walls," Regina says firmly. "For her sake and for the sake of your daughter."

Killian sighs and nods. He knows that trying to convince Emma of anything is a mammoth task on its own.

"Try to give her some comfort food and then sit down with her and talk," Elsa suggests.

"Right I'll have Granny make some onion rings and I'll make her a chocolate milkshake. Those are her favourites and then you can try to convince her to get help."

"You should try strawberry Ruby, she's been craving the red fruits recently. This morning, Mary Margret brought over raspberries for breakfast and she ate the entire basket."

"At least she's eating healthy," Regina shrugs. "But I do have the doctor you two can see."

Regina reaches into her pocket and pulls out a business card. Killian takes it and reads the title.

"Dr. Archibald Hopper?"

"He's the best of the best. I've been seeing him for years after the death of Daniel and after the divorces. He offers all kinds of counseling including couples and child psychology."

"Thank you, Regina," Killian says. He gets his wallet out to pay for the onion rings and shake.

Suddenly, the bell of the restaurant rings and a familiar, angry red-head walks in in black stilettos.

"I thought I'd find you stuffing your face with greasy food," Zelena says. "You should lay off the burgers sis."

Regina rolls her eyes and takes in a deep breath to face her half sister.

"Beats starving myself to fit into that dress," she snaps back. "What do you want Zelena?"

"I wanted to see if the rumors are true. That Emma has been found?"

Everyone looks at one another.

"Aye, she has," Killian answers.

"And no one thought to tell me. Call or even a text?"

"It kind of happened very fast…" Elsa begins.

"Save the excuses Blondie," the lawyer snaps. "I want to know why I wasn't informed that Emma was found and pregnant no less. I had to find everything out on the news."

"How did you know she was pregnant?" Ruby asks skeptically. "That wasn't on the news."

"You think Mary Margret doesn't send out mass texts whenever her child burps? Most of you don't realize that I'm also on that contact list."

"Well, you haven't exactly been working hard to find Emma."

"I've been busy with new cases," Zelena says, sticking her nose into the air.

"Like the one you just got fired from?" Regina smirks.

Zelena's blue eyes go wide.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about."

"Save the lies Zel," Regina says getting up from the stool and walking towards her half-sister. "I know that Robin fired you. I know that because he brought his son to my apartment after your call to Child Protective Services basically forced the kid out onto the street and away from his mother. I know that you will fight dirty in order to get what you want, even if it means hurting an innocent child and separating him from his mother to do it."

The two sisters now face to face, glaring daggers at each other. If looks could kill, they would both be dead. Elsa and Killian watch on in stunned silence, not sure about how this is going to go while Ruby secretly gets her phone out to film the potential cat fight. The other few customers in the restaurant try to ignore the dispute but can't help but be intrigued.

"You have no proof that I made such a call," Zelena says, trying to keep her chin high.

"I don't need proof, your attitude and predatory intentions for Robin are enough to convince me."

"How dare you!" the red-head growls

"I'm not afraid of you Zelena and I never have. Face, it, Robin is not interested in you and never will be. You played dirty and didn't come out clean."

The anger inside her half-sister boils over into physical violence. The older sister slaps Regina across the face. The dark-haired sibling doesn't waste any time fighting back, return the assault and eventually it's turning into a fight.

"Hey, Hey!" Granny shouts, coming out from the kitchen. "None of that in my diner!"

Killian and Elsa jump right in and pull Regina away from her sister. Neither wants to go near Zelena. The two siblings look at one another with pure fury. Regina's lip is bleeding slightly and a bruise is forming beside Zelena's eye.

The lawyer immediately brings out her compact and tries to touch up the bruise.

"I have to be in court tomorrow morning, I hope you're happy."

"To see you get what you deserve I'm always happy," Regina sneers.

The red-head begins to storm towards her sister again, but Granny holds her spatula up as if to create a line between the two women.

"I won't tolerate any of this now get out of here," Granny orders Zelena. Her blue eyes narrow in on her sister and she bites her lip angrily. She sucks in a few breaths before backing up and turning to leave.

"Good luck with your bastard child Killian, I just hope Emma will be sane enough to take care of it. And Robin will never be interested in you dear sister. Mark my words, he will come back to me."

"I'll mark more than your words," Regina snarls, but Killian and Elsa hold her back.

With her heels punishing the tiled floor, Zelena exits with a swift flick of her hair.

The tension in the room seems to dissipate once she's gone and the restaurant seems to go back to normal. Granny shakes her head before offering to get ice for Regina.

"I'm fine," she assures the older woman. The owner nods and then disappears into the kitchen again. Killian and Elsa release their friend and she goes back to the counter, putting a napkin to her lips.

"Did you have to break up the fight so soon?" Ruby whines. "I wanted this to go viral."

The three others roll their eyes and Ruby smirks at her own joke. She then hands the bag of food and milkshake to Killian.

"I wish you the best of luck Killian Jones," she says through her ruby red lips. "Try to break those walls around Emma Swan is going to take more than a sledgehammer, it'll take a wrecking ball."

 _Some sister rivalry. Unlike what's happening in the show where Regina and Zelena are bonding and the former wicked witch hitting the Black Fairy with her car was priceless. I'm not a big fan of Zelena, but she makes a great secondary antagonist to the story. There will be more tension to come._


	4. Chapter 4

Killian comes home to find Emma asleep on the couch with the TV on. No doubt the baby and the lack of sleep from the past few nights has taken its toll on her body. He turns the TV off and puts the onion rings on the kitchen counter and the milkshake in the fridge. He sits on the other end of the couch and watches his blonde sleeping beauty. Despite how stressed and drained she appeared, Killian still thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. How did he become so lucky? Was it fate? Was it meant to be?

He then thinks about how much the two of them had been through in the past few months. Ripped away after barely getting to know each other, sleepless nights worrying about her, at one point being accused of the abduction, being allowed to hear her cry for help, spending weeks in forests looking for her, finding out that she's pregnant with his child and now… where do they go from here?

Killian looks at the bulge under Emma's shirt that slowly grows with each passing day. The tiny life that has endured more than enough stress as it is… He wanted to be a good father for their baby, he wanted to be able to give Emma the life she deserved; his only problem was where to start.

There were so many things they would have to talk about. Where to live? If they ended up living together at all. If that didn't happen, then splitting custody. The baby's name? How to help Henry cope, work around possible visits from Neal. Helping the police investigation. Wondering if Emma should get a new job. Will he have to get a new job as well? What about marriage if at all? And most importantly of all, helping Emma. Clearly, the trauma of her abduction was breaking her and she can't work through it by herself. He wants to be there for her, but he's afraid that the Emma he fell in love with was gone?

He gently reaches over and lightly places his hand on her stomach. He knew inside was his daughter, what kind of world would she be born into?

"I promise that I will do everything in my power to give you the best life possible," he whispers.

He then begins going around the apartment, cleaning things up from the searches, taking out the garbage and simply straightening up to make the place look cleaner. He needed a distraction of some kind.

Eventually, Henry comes home but tells Killian that Regina offered to take him out for dinner. The docks man knew in the back of his mind that she was doing this to give him and Emma some time alone.

Once Henry is picked up, Killian begins cooking some steaks that David and Mary Margret brought over and making a fresh salad to go with the take-out. The smell makes him a little calmer, giving the kitchen a homey feeling and apparently causes Emma to stir from the couch.

"What smells so good?" she asks, standing at the kitchen counter.

"That would be _Granny's_ onion rings and some steaks brought over by your best friend and her husband," he answers. He even managed to set the table.

"I didn't know you could cook," Emma says, sneaking and onion ring from the bag.

"Aye, I'm the only one in the apartment who can, without me, Robin and Will would be living off Ready-Meals and take out."

"You are a man of many talents," she smirks.

"You can go sit down and I'll bring everything over."

Emma is surprised to see the table all set neatly and there's even candles lit. She didn't even remember that she had those. The place looks a little neater too.

"Did you clean up?" Emma asks.

"A little. Got rid of all the search party equipment and any other debris left by your rotating house guests."

"How you guys worked out a system like that I'll never know, but I assume that you at least changed the sheets once and a while," Emma says as Killian sets a plate down in front of her.

He then sits down across from her.

The two eat in silence for a long time, simply focusing on one thing at a time.

"This is really good," Emma says, complimenting the steak.

"Thank you, it takes a lot of practice to cook it just right and get the right amount of spices mixed in."

"I bet you'll be a chef in another life," she smiles.

Killian looks at his beautiful companion and returns the warm gesture. It's nice to see that smile again even if it's fleeting. He then swallows some steak, thinking about how he's going to approach the next issue.

"Uh… Swan…"

"Yes?"

"I…I don't know how to tell you this but uh…"

"What's wrong Killian?"

"I've just been thinking… about your current… behaviour… with the nightmares and the uh… crying…"

"What about it?"

"Well… I'm worried about you Emma."

"You shouldn't be," she insists.

"But I am. Emma," he reaches across the table to grab her hand. "What I've seen from you is not normal. It's a result of what happened to you… What that monster put you through."

Emma looks away, a chill goes up against her spine. She shuts her eyes tightly and lays her head in her hands.

"I know I can't understand what you went through."

"No one can Killian!" Emma sobs.

"But I think it's important you at least talk to someone."

"I'm not going to a shrink Killian, I'm fine!"

"No Love you're not. What happened to you… it can't be brushed aside or ignored. It's not healthy to hide from it or act like everything's okay. It's not good for you or the baby. Regina's recommending a good psychiatrist who can do couples therapy and even help Henry… His name is..."

Emma gets up from the table and goes to her room, shutting the door behind her. Killian wants to go in and comfort her but decides to give her some space. No one wants to go to a psychiatrist, it's basically admitting that something is wrong with them. It's a hard reality to face and he decides to let her have some time.

Inside the bedroom, Emma curls up into a ball and just starts crying. She can't go to a shrink… it basically admits that she's crazy. What happened was horrible, but she doesn't want to relive it in front of a total stranger on a random couch in an unfamiliar office. Not a single person in the world could understand. Not even fancy assholes with doctorates could even comprehend what she went through. The torture, the raping, the strangling, being treated like a piece of meat, the constant threat of death… everything. The thought of never seeing her son again, being chained to the bed, the days stuck in the trunk of the car… Psychiatrists promise that they can "fix you" or cure you, but it's all a lie. Talking about it won't help her, it would just make it worse. Why can't they move on?

She continues to sob increasingly. The haunting memories flash through her mind. The pain she felt, the anger, the hopelessness, the horror. Nothing could save her, she was beyond help. Also, it was not like anyone wanted to help her anyways. Emma has spent most of her life alone and she has trust issues. Everyone whom she'd ever trusted had let her down, starting with her birth parents, the family that adopted her but then sent her back after they had their own child, the foster homes that gave her nothing, August… Neal… Why should she trust anyone, they'd all betrayed her? That is why she built the walls, to protect herself from the pain… but this time, the pain seemed almost too great to be contained in the walls. It was flowing over them and causing her body great anguish. She'd had a hard enough life as it was, so why of all people was she abducted? Was fate that cruel to her? Did God hate her?

Emma stares up at the ceiling for a long time, thinking about how much it hurt, how much that bastard Arthur King haunted her. There were no words to describe it.

Suddenly, she feels the baby kick her abdomen. The little one is pushing almost rhythmically at her insides. Surprisingly, this did not hurt. It was quite gentle and soothing… almost like the baby was comforting her. The little one was probably responding to all of Emma's emotion and stress… Emma wonders, could the baby feel her pain too? She didn't want her daughter to feel her distress and worry, she didn't deserve it.

She thinks about her teenage child, the one who hid his feelings. He didn't deserve what happened to him either, but it wasn't his fault or hers…

She reflects on how her current behaviour is impacting her children and what about… Killian? He was probably suffering too, especially when she was in pain. Clearly, he cared about her if he stayed this entire time, going all over the state to find her. You don't do that if you just like someone…

Additionally, he was unlike anyone she'd ever met before. He trusted her and she trusted him. He told her that he'd go to the ends of the Earth for her and he'd be there for her and the baby. No one does that unless it's out of…

Love. Did Killian love her? It seemed likely, but then again, she loved Neal for so long and he left. She cared about him and put her heart in his hands, only for him to crush it and cause her great pain. She hadn't felt love of any kind in awhile and maybe… what Killian was suggesting for her was out of love. He cared about her and he was concerned about her well-being and the baby's…

She sighs and puts her hand on her stomach. She suddenly notices that her hand is shaking, almost violently. She doesn't quite know why, but it's not normal. Everything that happened to her was not normal but… it wasn't her fault. So why did she have to suffer for someone else's misdeeds?

This is how Arthur controlled, made her feel like nothing and that no one cared about her. He made her feel like an object that could be abused however he wanted. She didn't deserve that, neither does her son or her unborn daughter or… Killian.

Emma wipes her face and goes to the door. She peers out to see Killian cleaning up the dishes from dinner. Most of the people from her past would've just left, given up completely.

Emma walks out and stands at the edge of the kitchen. Killian turns around and looks at Emma. She becomes lost in his bright blue eyes again. She saw genuine concern for her and genuine… love.

"Are you all right?" he asks quietly.

Emma sucks in a deep breath. "Not really… I'm sorry I got upset at you, it's just so hard…"

"I know," he says. He starts to go and hug her but decides to let her come to him instead.

Emma nearly falls into his arms. It felt a little uncomfortable and a few terrible flashbacks race through her mind. She squirms a little bit and Killian loosens his grip on her.

"I just don't think that anyone can really help me…"

"I know…"

"But thinking about Henry, you, our baby… you didn't deserve any of this."

"And neither did you," Killian murmurs.

"I know. I just don't want him to have the last laugh. He made me feel worthless to control me and he hurt me in ways I cannot describe."

"But you're not worthless Love, not by a long shot. You are worth so much to so many people and we worried about you, day and night."

"And I appreciate that… I guess I just need to find a way to move on."

"And we'll be right there with you all the time Love…"

Emma looks up at Killian. She can feel her heart race. How she had missed his handsome face and his embrace. Arthur had ruined that slightly, making her afraid of intimacy, but she wanted him. She wanted to feel safe in his arms again, like those two nights so long ago. She leans in and kisses him. The moment makes her forget all her troubles, all her memories, everything and focus on this moment. She enjoyed the tenderness of his lips and the way he smelled. He kissed her like he meant it like he loved her. She wanted to be normal again, be happy and spend time with him like they used to. It seemed unlikely that she would ever be cured, but she wants to feel secure and content.

Once they break apart, she speaks.

"So, what's this doctor's name?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello, you must be Emma Swan and Killian Jones?" a man with red curly hair says. He stands up to greet both of them and shake their hands. He seems like a very friendly man, with welcoming blue eyes under a pair of thick glasses that seem to slide along his nose when he stands up. He gives them a warm friendly smile.

"Yes," Emma says, swallowing hard.

"Aye," Killian answers.

"Come in, make yourselves comfortable and then we can begin."

Emma sits down on a leather couch and Killian joins besides her. He offers her his hands, which she takes, both of them interlocking their fingers. The office has a very welcoming feeling, there are several windows letting in the February sunshine and there are various pictures of flowers and nature hanging from the walls. On one side of the room is the psychologist's desk with his computer and stacks upon stacks of papers. Beside his desk is a towering bookshelf filled with psychology volumes on various subjects including martial struggles, coping with death, structural child psychology and mental illness. Emma stares at the books for a long few moments before the doctor shuts the door and sits in a leather chair across from the couple.

"Welcome, allow me to introduce myself, I'm Dr. Archibald Hopper. Before we even begin, I want you to know that anything and everything you say is completely confidential with the only exceptions being you're going to hurt yourself, someone else or any indications of child abuse. Is that understood?"

Both of them nod.

"Good, well I suppose we can begin, can you tell me why you're here?"

Emma swallows and looks over at Killian. They lock eyes for a few moments before Emma nods, allowing him to speak first.

"Well… uh… Emma has been going through an extremely difficult time since she was rescued from captivity by a monstrous man. The trauma of it all seems to be too much for her and I worry about her health, well-being, and the safety of our child."

"I see, now can you describe to me why you think Emma is having trouble?"

"Her nightmares are the most concerning. She can't sleep through the night anymore. She wakes up screaming at the top of her lungs and has the urge to check on myself and Henry."

"Who is Henry?"

"My son from a previous relationship," Emma pipes up.

"And how old is Henry?"

"He's 15."

"I see and you, Emma, feel the need to make sure Killian is safe as well?"

She nods.

"And why is that?"

A chill goes up Emma's spine and she takes in a sharp breath. "I think it's because they are the two that mean the most to me and I'd feel lost without them. T-They were the only people that I thought about during that time in the cabin."

"And what cabin was this and where?"

"I don't really know. The m-man who abducted me took me there in the trunk of his car He basically made the place a prison to keep me there."

"And why was he keeping you there."

It's Killian's turn to swallow hard, knowing the answer and dreading it. He squeezes Emma's hand tightly to let her know he's there for her.

"H-He wanted to… g-get me p-pregnant,"

Emma waits for Dr. Hopper to react with disgust or shock like everyone else had, but instead, he keeps a professional face and gives an empathetic look. He makes a small note on a pad of paper and continues eye contact with his patients.

"And it's obvious he failed, am I correct?" the doctor asks.

Killian nods. "Aye, after she was rescued, we found out that the baby was conceived a month before she was grabbed and the blood tests just came back the other day confirming that the baby is indeed mine and Emma's."

"Well, I suppose I can extend some congratulations to you both before you continue."

Emma puts a hand over her baby bump as if to reassure herself and their daughter. "Thank you."

"So, he kept you locked in the cabin correct?"

"Y-yes and before that, I was handcuffed to a bed in his basement."

Killian's heart pounded against his chest. Ever so slowly, he was getting details of his girlfriend's captivity and what she endured. He felt very torn, wanting to know what happened and at the same not because all of it wanted to make him find the bastard and tear him limb from limb.

"And what did he do to you?"

Emma's hand shakes and she feels tears welling up in her eyes. She grips her docks man's hand very tightly. Her bottom lip quivers in fear so much that she must bite it to keep it still. Horrifying flashbacks of the nights and nights of being drugged and taken advantage fill her mind. The drugs were often so strong, she never knew what was real and what was a hallucination, but by the end, she felt filthy and horrible in the end.

"He…he…"

"It's okay, take your time," Dr. Hopper says softly.

"He raped me."

Emma shuts her eyes as tears begin running down her face. The pain and horror she endured during those four months makes her entire body weak to the point that she just might collapse onto the floor. She lets go of Killian's hand and covers her face. The overwhelming emotions makes her want to curl up into a ball on the floor. She wants the memories to go away, but they keep coming and coming, over and over, like a poison in her mind that is taking over her body, leaving her helpless, like the nights in Arthur's prison.

Killian instinctively reaches out to hug her, his heart breaking with the sight of her tears.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Emma screeches and he backs off.

He feels hurt by this rejection, but this was becoming a common event. He couldn't hold the woman he loved, to comfort her and tell her that she's okay now when she is clearly beyond comfort and not okay. It's a new kind of pain, not being able to comfort a loved one. He feels tears of his own floating to the surface of his eyes.

Dr. Hopper goes to his desk and offers Emma some tissues. When she doesn't take them, he leaves next to her. He then sits down again and passively watches his female patient. It was quite clear to him that Emma had endured unspeakable revulsions and was very traumatized by them. He had talked and helped rape victims before, but Emma's was a slightly different take considering she was kept in captivity and put through this abuse likely daily. He makes a few notes on his pad of paper and continues to watch her.

Killian becomes angrier and angrier, upset that Emma was suffering so much and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Bloody hell," he hisses under his breath. "Do something doctor!"

Archibald looks over at Killian and frowns in concern.

"Mr. Jones, can I talk to you privately for a moment outside?"

The bright blue eyes of the docks man narrow but he nods and gets up. He continues to stare at Emma.

"Take your time Emma," Dr. Hopper says. "I'll be right outside for a few moments. Okay?"

Emma peeks from her hands and then nods, trying to collect herself a little bit.

The two men walk out into the hallway and the doctor shuts the door.

"I understand this is hard for you Mr. Jones," Archibald Hopper says. "I can tell that she's struggling to be intimate, which is often very common for rape victims. I know it's hard not only for the victim but the spouse or partner and family as well."

"You're supposed to be making her feel better, not worse!" Killian points out. "You're supposed to be giving her suggestions on how to cope with her nightmares and panic attacks."

"Mr. Jones, I'm sure you're aware that counseling of any type takes a long time?"

"Aye," he nods.

"And this is part of the process. Believe it or not, the fact that Emma was able to say the word rape and acknowledge what happened is progress already. I've met with clients who lived in denial for a long time and refused to even say the words of their abuse of their abuser. Emma needs to be allowed to feel awful about what happened. She needs to let that pain out. It can be very distressing to watch and I'm thinking I should organize half-hour sessions with each of you individually and then bring you together in the end. It is sometimes too hard for the partner to watch the other in pain and sometimes being together can hinder the healing process. Do you understand?"

Killian swallows and wipes a few tears from his eyes before nodding.

"It's okay to be sad Mr. Jones, you have suffered just as much as Emma has and it is clear that you care about her a great deal."

"More than you'll ever know," he says.

"And I will do the best that I can to help you both heal and work together to move on. It's going to take time, but I do have confidence that both of you will pull through. We'll work on all the issues that you need to and hopefully, you'll start to feel better in time for the birth of you baby."

The docks man nods. "Thank you, Dr. Hopper."

"Are you prepared to go back inside?" Dr. Hopper asks.

He nods and follows the red-haired man back in.

Emma has composed herself a little bit, using the tissues to wipe her eyes. She feels embarrassed and awful over everything. She wasn't used to showing her emotions, especially in front of a stranger, but she couldn't help it. The nights of abuse and her abductor keep coming back to haunt her, especially in her dreams. She didn't want to lose Henry or Killian, but the thought of Arthur King coming back horrifies her. She realizes that she was so distracted with the reunion, she forgot to ask if Arthur had been caught. Her heart races and her head begins to spin. She should have asked David about it and told her story and yet, she didn't want to talk about it, re-live the nightmare that was her life for over four months.

She gives Killian a weak smile before he comes to sit down, but with some distance between them. She felt awful for shunning his attempts to comfort her earlier, but her body was like a roller coaster. One moment she wanted to be in his arms, the next she was repulsed and didn't want to be near anyone.

She slowly reaches out, offering her hand to him. He is hesitant, to say the least, but she must be comfortable enough if she's instigating the gesture. He takes her hand and they interlock their fingers again.

"I'm so sorry Killian," she whispers.

"It's alright, Love."

She smiles again and he returns the gesture.

"You have nothing to be sorry about Miss Swan," Dr. Hopper says gently. "What you are experiencing is quite normal for someone who was victimized."

"It is?"

"Yes. It's clear to me that you have suffered a lot and the trauma of your experience has led to these terrible nightmares and emotional breakdowns. Also, the repulsive feelings about intimacy are very common."

"So, what do I do?" Emma asks.

"We're going to take it one step at a time and only talk about what you are comfortable with discussing. Killian and I have agreed that perhaps separate half-hour sessions will work best for both of you and then coming together at the end. The reason for this is because sometimes it's hard for one partner to watch their significant other suffer like this. Do you think that will work Emma?"

Emma looks at Killian and squeezes his hand. He looks into her beautiful green eyes. They still looked as amazing as the first say he saw them, the only difference was, they were bloodshot from crying and stress. Despite how she felt, Emma still looked beautiful to him. He gives her his odd half-smirk for comfort.

"I-I think so."

"That's good. You've actually made good progress today Emma; the expression of your emotions and accepting what happened to you is an excellent starting point for this. What is going to happen from here is that I'll schedule the next session and we can talk about anything you'd like, even if it's very irrelevant, like your favourite flavour of ice cream. If it gives you comfort, I'll accept it without batting an eye. I want you both to feel as if you can tell me anything and all of us will work together to find the solutions to our problems. Does that sound agreeable to you?"

Killian looks at Emma. "I will do whatever she wants."

Emma thinks about it for a few moments. She knew that she wasn't the same person she once was. She'd endured terrible misfortune and trauma from this event and she knew if she wanted to still be a mother to her son and unborn daughter, she'd need this help. She also wanted to continue exploring her relationship with Killian, what they could do to help her heal and achieve the level of intimacy they'd felt a few months back. The expectation of being "normal" again was unlikely, she knew that, but she needed to feel better, for the sake of her loved ones. She looks at Killian for reassurance. He smiles at her and she can see some tears in his eyes. He pulls her hand closely and kisses it gently. She shudders slightly by the contact, but it wasn't all bad. She wanted to be with him and with their baby on the way, they had to work together to hopefully find a future for themselves and their growing family.

"Yes," Emma says quietly.

"Very good. Well, it was nice to meet you both and I've set up a time on Tuesday next week. I also heard that you have a son named Henry. Would you mind if I met with him at some point as well, just to see how he's doing?"

Emma swallows hard and then nods slowly. "Yes, we can bring him."

"Only if you and he are comfortable to do so. Thank you for coming in and I'll see you both next week,"

"Thank you, Dr. Hopper," Emma says, standing up to shake the man's hand.

"My pleasure and please call me Archie."

 _So shook up from the wedding episode tonight! IT FINALLY HAPPENED! Captain Swan is married. It was so moving and it made me laugh too. The songs were very catchy too. I was amazed by the actors' abilities to sing. Here's the first step with Emma getting help. I'll limit the therapy sessions a little bit so this doesn't become a psychology book that might be a bit boring. Please keep in mind that I am not a therapist/counselor myself, some of this is based on a course I took last year. If you have any suggestions about how to make these sessions as realistic as possible, please let me know. Thank you, and good night!_


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, Henry!" a very familiar voice calls out to him as he puts books in his locker. He turns to see Violet dressed in warm clothes for the February weather. She wears a purple coat that matches her namesake, knee-high black patterned boots, and a gray, knitted beret pulled over her brown ponytail. Her brown eyes light up happily at seeing him again. She embraces him tightly which takes him off-guard.

"Hey… Violet," he says quietly.

"I haven't had the chance to talk to you."

"Yeah um… I've been busy, a lot has happened in the past 72 hours."

"I heard on the news! I can't believe your mom is alive and safe!"

"She surprised all of us, basically rescuing herself," Henry says.

"You must be so happy," Violet says with the warmest smile.

Henry's heart races from Violet's embrace. He hadn't seen her in a little while, their last conversation was over the phone on that snow day… talking about setting up a date with one another.

"Yeah… Yeah, it's pretty great."

Violet lets go of Henry.

"Can… I walk you to your locker?" he asks.

"Sure," she chirps.

He then follows his crush down the hall and up a flight of stairs to another locker area. She unlocks it and he's surprised by the assortment of pictures and accessories in her locker. There's a mirror, pictures of her with her Christian friends, her party friends, a poster of Channing Tatum pasted to the back of it and stars. Stars and stars everywhere, the glow-in-the-dark kind and paper ones. They give her locker a real sense of personality and Henry remembers that Violet secretly loved astronomy and the celestial balls of fire were kind of her "thing."

As they stand at the locker, many students go by, whispering to one another and pointing at him. Henry shifts uncomfortably, knowing it was happening again. People were talking about him, probably spreading rumors about his mom and him about how she escaped and likely the baby. When the three of them had left the hospital, there were a few reporters there, but David shunned them away saying to give her some space. The one thing that they did get a good shot of was his mom's bandaged hands and her large coat. Even in the tabloids with celebrities, wearing loose clothing or large coats often meant pregnancy. His mom wasn't that noticeable yet, but on Saturday morning when he turned on the TV there was a segment of his mom's escape along with the caption of _Pregnant by Captor?_ It made him sick to his stomach, the last thing his mom needed right now was media attention and rumors. Rumors that Violet had clearly heard already as she was getting her books out of her locker.

She bites her lip, reluctant to ask the question. "Is it true that your mom…?"

"What?"

"That your mom is pregnant with Arthur King's child?"

"No, it's not. It's not his."

"Really? How do you know?"

"It's my mom and her boyfriend's. I know she had an ultrasound in the hospital and the baby was much older than the length of time she was missing."

"That's so great," Violet says

"Yeah it is," he says with a forced smile.

"Do you know the gender?"

"Yeah, it's a girl and so far, it's healthy."

"That's so amazing, you're getting a baby sister!"

"Half-sister," he corrects.

"Right," Violet says, sensing how uncomfortable Henry was becoming and she decided to drop the subject. However, a few other people brought it up again by approaching the two of them.

"Hey Henry," a rather bulky guy, likely from the football team, with flow hair and stubble on his chin, says to them. A few girls and guys are with him, likely his friends.

"Yeah?" the teen asks.

"Is it true your mom is preggers?"

Henry bites his lip hard and swallows the building anger inside of him.

"Yeah, she is, but it's not Arthur King's baby."

"Really?" one of the girls asks.

"It's her and her boyfriend's," Henry explains, avoiding eye contact with them.

"How do you know?" another football player asks.

"They had an ultrasound," Violet cuts in quickly, knowing the last thing Henry wanted to talk about was what happened to his mom to a bunch of strangers. She shuts her locker loudly to make sure their eyes were on her. "The baby was growing before she was kidnapped."

"Is it true she was roofied?" another football player asked.

"Is it true she cut her hands?"

"Was she really kept in a cabin in the woods? That is so sketchy," a girl adds.

Henry's face is turning red in embarrassment and anger. He didn't want to be interrogated about this any longer. These people never even liked him and they only wanted the details of the story. If this hadn't happened, they probably wouldn't have known he was alive or even went to this school.

Violet can sense the tension and she speaks for Henry again. "Please leave him alone, what his mother went through is none of your business and not something you should be spreading rumors about in the locker room. Now if you'll excuse us, Henry is walking me to class."

She then grabs Henry's hand firmly and turns on her heels, guiding him away. Henry is utterly taken aback but he knows Violet is looking out for him and just goes along with it. As they leave, they hear.

"Hey Henry, glad your Mom is safe," from one of the group members.

Henry looks back once and nods before attempting to keep up with Violet. They turn a corner, out of sight of the group

"Thank you so much," Henry breathes with relief. "I didn't know what to say."

"I could tell you weren't happy about it. You don't need this attention Henry, it's none of their business nor is it mine. You can share only with people that you trust. They just want to say they know you and get on TV."

Henry was taken aback by Violet's attitude, no doubt she knew what she was talking about. He didn't want to tell anyone what was happened to his Mom, nor what was going on at home. He didn't want cameras in his face or people asking him questions, he just wanted to be invisible like before. He was dealing with so much right now, he didn't need the attention.

"You sound as if you speak from experience," he says quietly.

Violet swallows a lump in her throat and just keeps walking. She takes Henry to in front of her Biology class and then stops to face him.

"It can't be easy going through all that, they don't know what you're feeling."

"Y-You're right," he says. "They don't. Mom's not the same anymore, not since she came back..." He looks at the floor and swallows the rest of his words.

Violet looks up at him sympathetically and pats his shoulder in comfort. She decides not to ask anything else, not wanting to hurt Henry even more by thinking that all she cared about was the kidnapping. She then cups his face in her hand and their eyes meet. Henry's head spins when he takes in her milk chocolate eyes and his face flushes a bright red of attraction. He wants to kiss her again like the night of the party, they hadn't really talked all that much or seen each other since before the snow day and he asked her out on a date. A date that was still up in the air at this point.

"I can't imagine," she says. She takes in a deep breath and continues. "Maybe we can take your mind off of all that by going to the movies on Friday?"

Henry steps back in complete surprise. Did she just ask him out? Had she read his mind? His stomach has a swarm of jittery butterflies inside of it that are racing around faster and faster from Violet touching him and her asking him out. His mind is a tornado of emotions and he stands there like a doofus, trying to put words together from the storm inside of him.

"A-are you… are you asking me out?"

"Well, I'm mostly just reinstating the date you proposed before, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," he says, almost stupidly.

"Well, I would like to go out with you… If that's okay," she says, blushing herself.

"Y-yeah, yeah, I would too." He stammers.

"So, Friday? I heard the _Guardians of the Galaxy 2_ is good."

"Or we can go see something else," he suggests, figuring girls weren't really into comic book movies.

"No, I like Chris Pratt, he's hot and I love Baby Groot too, he's so cute,"

The bell rings then to signify that classes were starting and Henry knew he had to go to class. He'd missed enough already.

"So yeah, Friday?" he says.

"Yeah, at around 7. Does that work for you?" she asks.

"It sure does," he says, sounding like a complete moron.

"Great…" she says smiling sweetly. "I'll see you in Spanish."

Without hesitation, she pecks him on the cheek and then goes into her Biology class.

Henry stands there as if in a trance, trying to process what just happened. He's actually going out on a date with Violet. He can't believe this is happening. His heart is hitting overdrive as he nearly falls backward from shock and joy. She also kissed him again, something she hadn't done since the party. They were finally being given the chance to actually do the dating thing and now that his mom was safe, life could go back to normal… for the most part.

…

The rest of the day passes in a whirlwind with Violet keeping people away from him as they ate lunch together and tried to plan their date in more detail. By the end of the day, Henry feels like he's walking on air. He's flying towards Cloud 9.

"Hey Mom," he says, coming through the door of the apartment, and ditching his backpack. Emma is in the kitchen chopping tomatoes for dinner.

"Hey Bug, how was your day?"

"Good," he says. He looks to see that Killian is nowhere to be found.

"Where's Killian?"

"He went home to get clothes and a few other essentials," she says, comminuting to chop the vegetables, and putting them in the frying pan.

Henry suddenly feels like he's being dragged back down to earth very violently. No matter how happy he might be to his date with Violet, there was still so much going on at home, mainly Killian becoming a permanent fixture in their home.

There was nothing wrong with Killian, Henry liked him, a lot and they had become close during the whole dramatic search, but now it seems like the docks man was just moving in now without question. He was always around and he was even sharing a bed with his mom. This shouldn't surprise him considering they are having a baby and all, but it seems so fast for him and very weird. He wasn't comfortable having a man in the house all the time because, for three years, it was just him and Mom, no one else.

He bites his lip before grabbing a handful of vegetables from the cutting board.

"So, what's the deal with Killian?" he asks nonchalantly. "Is he living here now?"

Emma looks up to meet her son's eyes. Her hands shake slightly. She continues chopping, pondering an answer.

"N-Not really," she says. "Why do you ask?"

"It just seems like it is, he's always here, he sleeps in your room with you and he helps cook meals, he even helped me with my homework the other night."

"Is that so b-bad?" Emma asks, stirring the vegetables in the frying pan.

"Not really it's just… happening so quickly you know?"

Emma shuts her eyes tightly and swallows hard. Her head begins to swim a bit and the baby seems to kick against her abdomen. Her hand shakes slightly, something her son notices.

"Are you okay Mom?" he asks.

"F-Fine," she says, trying to continue with cooking dinner.

"I mean, Killian is cool and all, but is he really living here, now it seems so fast… It's a bit…"

"A bit what?"

"A bit weird…"

Emma shakes her head and tries to clean the knife in the kitchen sink when she sees her still bandaged hands and then the knife and a flashback happens.

The blood, the pain, the fear, how nervous she was. What if it didn't work? What if Arthur found out she faked it? What would he do to her? Would she still be…?

Emma breaks down in tears, dropping the knife loudly into the sink and practically collapsing onto the floor. Henry rushes to her side.

"Mom? Mom!" he gasps. "Are you okay?"

Emma doesn't respond at first, just shakes her head and rubs her hands up and down her arms. She's shaking again with sobs and her head begins to race with those terrible nights, the pain and the hopelessness of her situation came back. What she had to do to escape... the fear…

She curls up into a ball again and her sobs become heavier with each passing moment. Her chest is tight as her breaths become shorter and shorter as her entire body succumbs to her sorrow.

Henry reaches out his arm and tries to comfort his mother. She shudders under it and tries to squirm away. Her body is telling her to move, but her mind says that this is her son and he's scared too. She needs his comfort.

She leans into her son's shoulder to continue her crying. Henry's body is wracked with his own emotions, things that he'd kept bottled up for awhile, not really sure how to express them. He wants to help his mom, but at the same time, he's afraid. This wasn't his Mom anymore. She had changed so much since the last time they were together. She was more scared than ever before, she was quiet, she didn't hug him as often and she… she just wasn't the same. He begins to cry a little bit too, wanting things to just go back to normal.

Mother and son sit on the kitchen floor, holding each other as if to provide the support they'd been lacking. All their fears and emotions were being expressed on the floor, while their dinner burned in the frying pan. Henry just wanted his mother back and Emma just wanted to forget everything.

After awhile of nothing but sobs, Emma wipes her eyes and wraps her arms around Henry fully.

"I-I'm so sorry Henry," she whispers.

"For w-what?"

"For acting like this, you must be so scared and confused."

"I am Mom. I'm worried about you and everything that seems to be changing…"

"I-I know. The baby, Killian, the therapy… it's a lot to take in." Emma holds her son's head in her arms and practically cuddles him.

"I just want things to go back to the way things were," he says quietly.

"I know…" she whispers back.

"I missed you, Mom… I-I was afraid I'd never see you again."

"I know," she says. "So much as happened and you didn't deserve any of it."

"Neither did you," Henry adds.

"I know, but… it did and now I'm going to have t-to live with it."

" ** _We_** , Mom, we."

Emma nods and kisses her son's head. She looks into his hazel eyes, a mixture of her's and Neal's eyes. She wanted beyond anything to make her son feel better, give him that normal life back where they just went about their day, mother and son, nothing too complicated or scary lurking in the background, just them.

"I just want to go and hit reset," she whispers, allowing Henry to lay in her lap.

"Me too."

There's a long silence, both knowing this could never happen.

She swallows. "B-But unfortunately, this is our life now and I know you have a lot of questions Bug, but I don't exactly have any answers."

"It's just happening so fast."

"I know. Change of any kind is hard."

"But I don't want change, I want you before everything happened…" he says in an almost whining voice.

"I know," she whispers, kissing his head. "It's going to be hard to accept, but things are going to have to change… for better or for worse."

"It feels like worse,"

"Right now, it does yes, but we're still here, we're still together and that's always going to stay the same."

"You promise?" he asks, looking up at his mother from her lap.

"I promise," she smiles. She kisses his forehead gently and then Henry does something he hadn't done in awhile, he kissed his mom on the cheek. He thought he'd grown too old to be kissed by his mom, but now, with everything happening, he wanted to turn back time to the good old days, when it was she and him, safe.

"Listen to me Bug, a lot is going to have to happen and we're going to have to work together. You may not like it, but… I want to give you your best shot at normal again and to do that, we'll need to make a change."

Henry sighs, knowing that his mom is right. He didn't like the change, but it was happening. Killian was now in their life and he had a baby sister on the way. Things he should be happy about, but isn't…

"Give it time," Emma says gently. "We'll figure something out as a family…"

"O-Okay," the teen nods.

The two sit in silence for a long time, while dinner burned on the stove, but neither really cared now, lost in their own thoughts and confusion. Henry felt a little better, but not a lot, clearly, he did need that night out to forget everything. He swallows, knowing what he'll have to say next.

"H-Hey Mom?"

 _Here's Chapter 6. Hope you guys enjoy it and here's the Henry and Emma moment oncerforlife suggested. Hope you caught the song reference I put in there. More to come. I also don't know why everyone is not receiving notifications. It must be a glitch in the system, but hopefully, the website will fix it._


	7. Chapter 7

"What?" Emma gasps in disbelief

"I have a date on Friday."

"With whom?"

"Her name is Violet. I met her at swim practice. She was the one I was talking to on the pool deck the Wednesday before… you know."

Emma wracks her brain to try and remember who Henry was talking about, but so much had happened since then, it was hard for her to remember.

"She was the one who invited me to the party,"

"Oh," his mother says nodding. She had a vague image of the girl now. Dark brown hair and eyes.

"And she's in my Spanish class. She also was part of the search party that Mary Margret organized. She's been supportive through everything that's happened."

"And you finally asked her out?" Emma says.

"Yeah."

Her head is spinning slightly with this new information. She couldn't believe her fifteen-year-old son was going on a date. This shouldn't surprise her, after all, he was old enough to do such things, but it was still shocking. She still thought of him as her little boy and to have him tell her this was a surprise. Her stomach turned a little bit, realizing that she had missed out on quite a lot over the past few months. It wasn't her fault of course, but she still felt left out. She chews on her lip a few times before standing up and tossing out the ruined dinner to distract herself.

"That's okay isn't it Mom?" he asks.

"Of course, honey, I'm very happy for you; it's just part of me doesn't want you to grow up and I still see you in those race car pajamas sometimes."

"Oh god," the teen grimaces. "If she ever comes here, please don't mention that."

"Don't worry I won't. So where are you going on this date?"

"We're thinking of seeing a movie and then maybe grabbing a bite to eat."

"Do you know if she has a curfew?"

"Not yet, I'll ask her. What's mine by the way?"

"11," Emma says.

"I honestly don't think the date will go that late."

Emma chews her lip again while cleaning up the dishes. "How about I order some pizza and you can tell me more about Violet. I've just been out of the loop for awhile."

Henry swallows and nods.

…

"So, you thinkin' of movin' in together then?" Will asks Killian as the dark-haired docks man shoves some clothes into a duffle bag. The rest of his stuff is in the wash as he gathers other things he might need before going back to Emma's apartment.

"We're not there yet Will. We haven't even talked about what we're going to do next week."

Will sits on Killian's hamper, watching his roommate pack. "Just sayin' the past week or so, Robin and I have barely seen ya."

"For good reason," Robin says, walking by the room. "He's been non-stop with Ana all weekend."

Killian grimaces and goes back to packing.

"Must be glad you didn't use a condom then?" Will says.

The docks man glares at his roommate.

"Besides the fact that it likely saved her life and the baby she's carrying is not from that monster, yes I'm very happy!"

"Well, the usual thing to do is to marry the girl before the baby is born, it is."

Killian looks over at his roommate, wanting to punch him so badly. The cocky bastard has no idea what they're going through right now. Everything is overwhelming. Emma has been through unspeakable horrors, not knowing from one day to the next whether she'd come out alive, and all Will can think about is the fact that he got her pregnant. He'd spent months in constant worry, living with the thought that he may never see his love again and trekked many snow-covered forests to find her, while Will's been here banging his girlfriend and ordering stuff off the Internet. He's about ready to give him an earful when Robin steps in.

"Leave him alone Will. You don't have the slightest idea what he and Emma have been through. They're going to take it one day at a time, right Kil?"

He nods, thankful for Robin's rationale and calm demeanor. "I'm going to stand by her no matter what happens."

"Well, usually it's the man who decides whether to propose…"

"WILL!" both scream at him together. Killian walks out of his room and heads towards the door in frustration, Robin follows behind.

"Don't take it too hard Kil, his brain is so small he can't grasp the concept of commitment."

"I HEARD THAT!" is the response down the hall.

"It's the truth!" Robin calls back. He then turns back to Killian and puts his hand on his shoulder. "Don't let him get you down. She's a great woman. A survivor like you. You're a very lucky man and I know you won't let her or her son down. I know you'll do what's right at your own pace."

Killian hugs Robin tightly as a way of thanking him.

"Speaking of being lucky, how's it going with Regina?"

"R-"

"Come on mate, I see the way you look at her. Haven't seen you look at anyone like that since you first met Marian."

Robin's cheeks flush bright red and he begins looking at his shoes.

"I know you care for her mate, and I'll give you the same advice, don't let her go."

"Thanks," Robin says rather quietly.

"Good luck then," the docks man says slapping his roommate's shoulder. "I'll see you whenever I run out of clean clothes."

"Right," he nods. "See ya soon."

…

When Killian comes up to Emma's apartment, he knocks on the door, realizing he doesn't even have a key yet. He and Emma are so early in their relationship and here they were expecting a baby, going to couple's counseling, and practically living together. The latter was more for comfort on Emma's part, but he did enjoy sharing a bed with her, and an apartment. He felt at home there and he was sure that she liked him being there. It still felt so early and here his idiot roommate was talking about marriage and living together permanently. He knew that Emma had her own scars and she wasn't an easy woman to get along with. She'd had trust issues all her life and after being proposed to by her previous boyfriend and then being stood up by him, he wasn't sure she was ready for anything at all. They hadn't even said "I love you" yet. His head felt like a mess and he realized he might have to talk to Dr. Hopper about this.

Emma comes to the door with a piece of pizza in her hands and a smile on her face. She did look beautiful, even though she wasn't trying to be.

"Hi," she says, her mouth full of crust.

"Hi," he says.

"If you want there's some pizza on the table, Henry and I are watching a movie and talking about his date on Friday."

"Date?" he says in surprise, entering the apartment. "I didn't know the lad was courting."

"It's his first," Emma says. "I'm trying to get him to take her to a nice restaurant, but he just wants to eat burgers at the nearest A&W."

"I don't have the money Mom, and besides, she just wants it to be casual," Henry calls from the couch.

"I still think you should get her flowers, show it as a nice gesture to show you really like her."

"She already knows that Mom, we went to a party together remember?"

Killian swallows. "Right, the night…"

The smile on Emma's face fades a little bit as he stands awkwardly in the front hall.

"I…I brought more clean clothes, I-I'll just put them in your room."

"Okay," Emma says, trying to stay positive, pushing back any bad flashbacks. "I should really be giving you a drawer for your stuff at this point."

"It's alright Love, most of my stuff can't fit into a drawer."

"Like your eyeliner," Henry jokes.

Emma shoots her son a look before she goes back to the couch.

Killian sighs heavily once he's in her bedroom alone. There's so much that's happening, he doesn't want to rush anything. It might scare Emma away and the last thing he wanted to do was lose her.

He shoves the thoughts from his head and joins mother and son on the couch as they scroll through _Netflix_ for something new to watch and grabbing pieces of pizza.

"I think _Die Hard_ is a good one to watch," Henry says.

"How about we try something a little more cultured like _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ or _Shakespeare in Love_?" Emma suggest.

"Mom, those are both chick flicks," her son whines.

Emma leans up against Killian as he eats his slice of pizza.

"They're both classics, Henry."

"So is _Die Hard_ , it's the only good one, the rest suck."

"Like the first three _Star Wars_ movies?"

"Pretty much," Henry shrugs.

"What about you Killian?" Emma asks. "What would you like to watch?"

The dark-haired man bites his lip hard as he looks at both mother and son, not really sure how to respond.

"How about _ET_?"

Henry groans. "That's a kid's movie."

"Not really, I still enjoy watching it," the docks man responds.

"When was the last time you watched _ET_ Henry?" Emma asks.

"Never."

"How about _Jaws_ then?' he suggests.

"Is Spielberg your go-to choice?" Emma asks, looking at her boyfriend.

"Usually yes. He's quite good at what he does."

"Doesn't it make you afraid of the water?" Henry asks.

"I've seen much worse in my time at sea, Lad, and the stories Liam told about being in the navy, the mechanical shark is nothing in comparison."

" _Jaws_ it is then," Emma says before her son can protest. She presses play and then tucks her feet under herself and leans on Killian again. She felt okay to be next to him for now, she shifted a few times uncomfortably but felt safer in his arms.

Killian adjusted to her needs, putting one hand on her belly a few times. At one point the baby kicks. His heart skips a beat when he feels the tiny life inside Emma. His little daughter… his child. He knew he had a lot of thinking to do, but pushes them aside to watch the opening underwater titles.

…

"You know, I used to be afraid of the water."

"Can't imagine why." Richard Dreyfuss' character says as the credits began to roll on the screen.

Killian looks over to see both Henry and Emma are asleep. He wasn't sure when they stopped watching and drifted off. Maybe after Robert Shaw's iconic speech. Either way, he had a strange feeling. It was if they were like a family having a movie night. Emma is curled up against him, while Henry's practically falling off the couch. He found this strangely gratifying and he felt great warmth being with the two of them. It really did feel like they were a family, but the thought brought those worries back to his mind now. What were they going to do? There was so much that was uncertain. Emma's current condition was the main concern, that and the baby. Henry was not ready to fully accept Killian as a father figure, considering Neal was still in town as far as he knew. He, himself, was practically living in the apartment now and had troubles of his own. How was he going to support his daughter? Will he be able to help Emma work through all the problems? Could they really ever be a family or was it too complicated?

He swallows as Emma sighs in her sleep. She looked peaceful, which was a nice change. He gently puts his hand on her stomach again and tries to feel around for the baby. His daughter must sense his hand because she kicks in response. He begins to tear up, thinking about the little one in there. He hoped that she would look like Emma. Despite everything that was worrying him, the kicking seemed to reassure him, his daughter was letting him know that it was okay and that she was going to be the reward at the end. She was his little beacon of hope in such troubling times.

"I love you little one," he whispers, patting where she had kicked. "I will do everything I can to make you happy."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"So, Henry has his first date?" Ruby asks.

Emma and Killian are walking the few blocks to Dr. Hopper's office for their second session with him. Ruby called up daily now to check in with her friend and to ensure she's okay.

"Yes, he does," Emma says.

"Is it that girl he always talks about, Violet?"

"Y-Yes, how do you know that?" Emma asks.

"I took shifts watching your son while you were gone Em. He and I talked."

"Really?" she frowns, suspecting that Ruby wasn't being truthful. Her superpower was working once again.

"Yeah, people still do that,"

"Ruby…"

"Okay fine I'd overhear his conversations sometimes… by accident," the waitress emphasizes. "He talked to this girl a lot while you were gone. It seemed like she was his only friend."

Emma's stomach twists when her friend says that. She knew that Henry had always had trouble fitting in with his peers, but the thought of her son with only one friend made her concerned. It was bad enough being a teenager, but one without friends is even worse.

"She was his confidante, but I always suspected that he'd eventually ask her out."

"That's great," Emma says as Killian holds the door for her. They enter Dr. Hopper's office. "I gotta go, Rubes, we might come by _Granny's_ later."

"Coolio, good luck," before she hangs up.

The couple checks into the office and then wait for their session. Killian puts his hand on Emma's. She twitches slightly from the sudden contact but accepts it.

"Nervous Love?" he asks.

"Little bit," Emma mutters. "I really need to find a way to control my anxiety. I had a Titanic-sized freak out the other night in front of Henry."

Killian looks at her with concern and gently squeezes her hand. He refrains himself from kissing her as it might set her off again.

"Dr. Hopper will see you now," the secretary says.

The couple continues to hold hands as they go down the hall to Archie's office.

"Good Afternoon Miss Swan and Mr. Jones," the therapist says, smiling at the two. He shows his teeth and reveals a small gap between two of them.

"Hello again Dr. Hopper," Emma says.

"And how are we feeling today?"

The two look at each other.

"A-Alright I guess," she answers.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that now how would you like to start today's session. Is there anything very important that you need to tell me?"

Emma swallows and rubs her hand over her stomach, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Well… I've had a few panic attacks this week, one in front of my son."

"I see," the doctor says, beginning to take notes. "Can you describe to me what happened?"

Emma goes on to explain her having a complete breakdown while cooking dinner. She tells him how her entire body felt weak and her mind filled with terrible "what if" scenarios. She talks about the look on Henry's face and her assumptions on how he must've felt having to comfort his grown mother who was bawling like a child in front of him. Her hand shakes in Killian's grasp and he rubs her palm with his thumb as a way of trying to soothe her. Dr. Hopper listens with concern and makes a few notes on paper as his patient talks.

Once she's done, he speaks.

"That certainly would be hard to endure… now I want to take you back to that moment where you felt the attack coming to you. What do you think caused you to think like this and begin to panic?"

"I…I don't really know…"

"Take your time, I know it's hard to talk about, but what do you think triggered this episode?"

Emma shuts her eyes for a few moments and ponders what was setting her off.

"I…I think it might've been when Henry brought up the idea that Killian was living with us now."

It's the docks man's turn to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"And why was that hard?"

She bites her lip to stop it from quivering, tears lurking in her eyes again. She doesn't really want to say. The whole idea of what's going to happen next was overwhelming to her. So much was happening at once that she just wanted to shrink inside a shell and hide there, wanting to feel safe from the big decisions outside.

The silence lengthens more and more and Archie decides to take the next step.

"Is this something you want to discuss privately Emma?"

Her lip quivers again. She feels bad. She loved Killian, a lot and she didn't want to hurt his feelings by talking about how insecure she felt and how she wasn't sure if she wanted to move in with him. She looks into his bright blue eyes. They were filled with concern. She didn't want to see those eyes filled with hurt.

"Is it okay?" she asks her boyfriend.

He simply nods. He feels a little hurt by it, but if it will help his swan in someway, he'll do it. He lets go of her hand and stands up to leave.

"There's a chair out in the hall you can wait in," Archie offers.

"Thank you," Killian nods.

Once the door closes, the doctor turns back to his patient. "All right Emma, why was the idea of living together so hard?"

"It's just happening so quickly," she explains. Her stomach turns, she feels as if she's betraying Killian in some way. She swallows a large lump of guilt in her throat.

"I see. It can be seen as very fast. How long had you and Killian known each other before… what happened?"

"Almost three months."

"I see."

"We were just getting to know each other. Starting off slow. We both came from hard relationships before this."

"Do you want to elaborate on that?"

Emma shakes her head. "Not really… not yet"

"Alright, so you were getting to know each other and…"

"We did end up being intimate, which ended up in conception," she indicates her baby bump.

Archie just nods, knowing this is sensitive territory for any couple.

"And now that I'm back… I just can't be alone any longer. He stays with me in my room at night. He's there for me when I have nightmares."

"He comforts you?"

"Yes."

"And did this feel unusual for you…"

Emma hesitates at the question. If she was honest with herself, it felt natural. When she allowed Killian to put his arm around her in bed if felt like she was meant to fit in his strong grasp. They felt like a "normal" couple. It was often the way Neal used to sleep with her when they shared a bed, he'd cuddle with her like that until they were both asleep. That also felt natural but then Neal ran off, breaking her heart.

"N-Not really."

"But you find comfort in him correct?"

"Yes. I can't be alone, not in the dark, not like that…"

"Like what?" he prompts.

Tears fill her eyes. Like all those nights where she was handcuffed to the bed or in the tight grasp of her abuser. She was genuinely afraid that Arthur was lurking around in the dark, waiting to prey on her. She remembers how alone she felt on those nights, feeling no hope and just coldness.

"Take your time…" Archie says.

Emma cries for a little while, the horrific flashbacks of nights in the basement and cabin fill her memories. She shakes uncontrollably. Archie offers her tissues and merely waits, having a lot of patience for victims of rape. He tries a few times to prompt her to talk, but she sobs. He's alright with that.

Meanwhile, outside, Killian is waiting, his face in his hands. He can vaguely hear the sounds of his girlfriend sobbing. His heart feels like it's being torn in two. He wants to be in there, comforting her, telling her it's going to be okay, but he can't. He thinks back t the times he offered reassurance to Emma and she almost violently rebuffs him. He feels so destroyed by this. He loved Emma, that much he was sure about and to not be able to hold her frail body as it shook, stroke her soft blonde hair, and kiss her… it hurt. He knows in the back of his mind, she can't help it, but it was still painful to be rejected like that. It was like she was afraid of him… he knew that wasn't possible, but he still thought it might be true.

Eventually, Emma manages to give few details about why she hates the dark now. She's vague in certain places and she talks a little bit about her nightmares. Dr. Hopper simply keeps a straight face, making a few notes, but being the ear to listen to her stories. He knows this is merely the surface of how deep her trauma likely went. She'd suffered psychological damage as well as physical abuse of her body. The toll abduction and rape takes on an individual cannot be described, but he always lets his clients do the talking, putting it into their own words.

His patient, is very uncomfortable, going on about her fears and some of her current nightmares. It felt slightly embarrassing to be talking about this like she's a child telling a parent about a scary dream. She cannot stop crying and she can't control her mind. Flashes of nights in the cold cabin keep coming. At some points, she feels like she's back in the terrible place again. At the same time, she feels a little relief, getting something off her chest. She'd had not told anyone about anything. It felt distressing and mortifying talking about something that likely was never going to happen. She didn't want to unload her problems on other people and it's likely they wouldn't understand. She wasn't even sure if Dr. Hopper could. He'd probably never been kidnapped, he wouldn't know how scared she was and the type of abuse she endured, but still… sharing it was a small comfort… it gave her some relief… some.

By the end of the half hour, she is a bit calmer, enough to compose herself. She's offered a glass of water and then Killian is sent in for his time alone.

"Alright, thank you for waiting, Killian, now what's on your mind?"

"What can I do to help Emma?"

"You mean during the panic attacks?"

"All the time," he says, getting slightly emotional. "How…how can I comfort her when she won't let me t-touch her…"

"Ah…" the doctor says, adjusting his glasses accordingly. "Would you care to expand on that?"

"Just to see her like that… and knowing there's nothing I can do. She shoves me away when I try to be there for her and…" he lowers his voice. "We haven't kissed much since we were reunited."

"Intimacy is one of the many things taken after one partner has endured rape. The victim is reminded too much of how someone was forcibly violent with them, often violating every part of them… It creates a terrible memory and psychological association with it."

Killian looks at him confused.

"It's like conditioning…" Archie goes on to explain an experiment where a child was subjected to loud noises while playing with certain objects and associated that terrifying experience with other objects by the end.

"So… so what can I do?"

"Not a lot," the doctor grimaces, knowing he must tell the boyfriend some very unfortunate news. "Time is the most important thing, but… I'm sorry to have to tell you this but it might be years before Emma will accept being intimate with you again."

"YEARS!" Killian shouts, Tears flood his eyes and his heart feels like it's being stomped on. He can't imagine his life without Emma, let alone not being able to touch her, hold her, kiss her… He has an urge to put his fist through the nearest wall. "BLOODY HELL!"

Archie grimaces and simply lets the patient cry it out and get his rage out. Much like Emma, he had endless patience. He knew that the road to acceptance often started out with denial and anger, among other things. Once the docks man is slightly calmer, he continues.

"It's a very unfortunate truth. Emma's trauma of being raped and abused like that has caused a deep wound and it will take time for it to become a scar… and scars never fully go away."

Killian puts his head in his hands and just lets his frustrations out. Emma may never be the same again. She may not want to hold him, kiss him, or make love to him ever again. The thought smashes his heart into a million pieces. His entire body felt like it was being stabbed over and over again, each time the pain getting worse and worse. He couldn't control himself, his hands shook with rage. He ended up lashing out, sending his fist out and knocking one of Dr. Hopper's works of art to the floor.

The docks man immediately regrets his actions and goes to pick it up. Luckily, it was made of metal and didn't break, but it was dented.

"I'm so sorry Dr. Hopper."

"It's quite alright Killian, you're not the first person who's broken something in my office, nor will you be the last. It's why I stopped having pottery or plants in my office. One couple was having problems and she ended up throwing a vase at her partner. A vase my mother had given me."

"Bloody hell," Killian gasps.

"She said she was sorry, but couldn't replace it. That's why I have metal or plastic decorations. Much less likely to cause damage."

"Good plan."

The two men sit in silence for a few moments before the doctor speaks.

"Getting back to where we were, I know time is not something you want Mr. Jones, but there are a few things you can do to help her recover faster."

"What is it?!" his patient says, his heart racing with hope and excitement.

"You should both take time each day to make contact. You should always let her initiate it because if not, it could get quite bad. And, helping Emma doesn't necessarily mean you have to physically touch her all the time. I know that's go-to for many people, but sometimes just listening to her is a comfort, writing love notes to her, talking and having quiet moments are all ways you can help. Your presence in the apartment alone seems to be helping a lot. They'll make her feel more relaxed and associate quiet with good things. If you do make physical contact, you can try to reverse her conditioning, tell her you to care about her, talk about happy things. She'll associate that contact with positive things and this will slowly change her mindset. Keep in mind, it will take time, but I have confidence that both of you can work through it."

Killian processes everything the doctor says. He'd never thought that there was any other way to comfort someone and make them feel safe unless he was near them, holding them. He still feels very hurt knowing that he and Emma cannot go back to the way things were before. He still denies that she'll need lots of time or she'll never be back to normal, but these ways the doctor is suggesting could ease her discomfort and his own.

He manages to smile at the doctor. Archie then calls Emma back in. The couple sits on chairs side by side, not touching, which was killing the boyfriend at the moment. At the end of the session, Archie gently suggests that Killian and Emma take time in the day to simply talk and if she was comfortable with it, let Killian hug her or hold her hand. He writes out a list of things they can try and then sends the two on their way after setting up the next appointment.

The couple walks out of the office and down the stairs, walking side by side. Killian swallows a lump in his throat along with his frustration but tries to remain composed for his beloved Swan. He holds the door for her again and offers to drive.

They end up at _Granny's_ for a little while. They sit in a booth in silence, Emma sipping a strawberry milkshake and him drinking a root beer. Neither knows what to say or where to start. It was all so overwhelming to both of them and so hard.

Killian lays his hands out on the table. Emma stares at them for a long while… debating whether she was comfortable with touching him.

In the end, her hand slowly goes out and she takes his left palm under hers. The two interlock fingers, not saying anything, just staring, trying to take that first step.

 _I'm back everyone! I've made up for the time I've been gone by writing a nice long chapter. Hope you enjoy it._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"I really don't think you should take the lad's picture," Killian says, as the two of them wait for Henry to come out of his room.

"It's his first date, and I want to remember this," Emma says, holding her camera in her hands.

"Don't make too big a deal out of it Love," he warns her. "It's not prom or graduation."

"Hey, when our daughter goes on her first date, you'll want to remember it too."

"That won't happen because as long as she's under my roof, she won't be dating anyone," the docks man says sternly.

"She's not even born yet and you're already overprotective of her," Emma says smiling. Killian puts his arm around her waist. He rubs the spot where their daughter is growing.

The two hear footsteps and Henry comes into the living room. He wears a dark blue collared shirt at the insistence of his mother and a pair of black pants. He completes the look with a pair of black sneakers. He has his hair combed to the side so she could see his hazel eyes. They looked a bit reluctant and plenty embarrassed that his mother insisted on taking pictures.

Emma swallows, trying to remain positive as she looks at her son. He's growing up so fast that she wants to take a moment and relive all the happy memories of his childhood. Her heart swells a little bit. She had talked to Dr. Hopper about her feelings towards her son going on his first date, how she was happy and upset at the same time, feeling like it was a big change in their lives, and the man reassured her that all parents go through that. She should try to remain positive, even if she herself was nervous (And she wasn't the one going on the date). Missing almost four months of his life did not seem like much, but to her, it felt like a lot. Dr. Hopper also advised Emma to spend a lot of time with Henry because once the baby comes, things will change a lot more. Even though the teen was old enough to understand what jealousy was and that young siblings need more attention, he'd still feel brushed to the side. Something that his mother did not want.

"You look very handsome," she says gently. She holds up the camera and Henry holds his hand in front of his face. "One picture please…" she begs.

The teen rolls his eyes and eventually obliges. He cracks a small smile, allowing his mother to capture the moment.

"So, is Killian driving me?" Henry asks.

"Aye, you ready lad?"

"I think so,"

Emma allowed Killian to drive her son, hoping the two could do some form of bonding, the docks man giving the boy some last-minute dating advice, something Neal was losing out on. Also, Emma was too nervous to even think about dropping her son off for a date. In the back of Henry's mind, his mother might embarrass him, so he was grateful when her boyfriend volunteered instead.

"Goodbye Mom," the teen says, giving her a hug.

"Do you have your key?"

"Yes."

"Your phone?"

"Yes."

"Money for the movie and dinner?"

"Yes," his exasperated voice says.

Killian puts his hand on Emma's shoulder to calm her down. She takes in a deep breath, fighting back happy tears.

"Good bye and good luck Bug," she smirks, kissing his forehead. Henry's ears turn red in response. "I'm only joking, have fun and be safe."

"I will Mom," the teen says as he grabs his jacket. Killian follows the boy out and shuts the door behind them.

…

"Don't be too annoyed with her Lad," Killian says as they drive through town. "She's just nervous."

"I know, but why? She's not the one going on the date."

"No, but she feels like she has to make the moment count… considering how much time was…"

The two men go into awkward silence. They drive through the darkening streets of Boston with several snowplows going through the area to clear the recent snow falls.

"I actually have something for you," Killian says.

"What is it?"

"Look in the plastic bag at your feet."

Henry reaches down and finds something long and thin in a white plastic bag. He opens it to find a small white carnation flower.

"It's for your date," the docks man explains. "I believe that every man should present the woman with a flower. Make a good first impression."

"But I've known her for months."

"Doesn't matter. I met your mother at a bar and we ended up in a standoff with one of her wanted clients. I still brought her a white rose for our first official date. I believe that a man should be a gentleman to any woman he is courting."

"Courting, what era are you from?" Henry retorts.

Killian glares at the teen. "You like this girl, don't you?" he asks in a stern voice.

"Y-Yes."

"Then be a gentleman to her; tell her she's beautiful, open doors for her, offer to pay for her meal, do little things like that. They go a very long way. It shows you care and you want to make an impact alright? It will also stand you in good stead with her parents."

Henry nods. He fiddles with the carnation. His stomach is turning over and over, making him feel sick to his stomach. He can't understand why he's acting like this. He knows Violet, the two have kissed before and hung out… but this was a real date. The real thing…

His phone suddenly buzzes in his pocket and he checks it. It's a text from his dad.

 ** _Good luck tonight buddy, don't forget to kiss her good night._**

The teen swallows and Killian pulls the car up in front of the house. Henry's grip is sweating as he makes his way up to the front porch of the modest little house. It has dark blue shutters and is painted a cream colour. It has a well-kept garden covered in mounds of snow in the front and a stone walkway that has been cleared of white powder. He recalls hearing something about Violet's mother being a gardener. It's a nice place to live, much better than his mom's small apartment.

His hand shakes as he knocks on the door.

The door opens to see a man in his late 40s with graying hair, dark brown eyes under thin glasses standing there. He examines Henry from top to bottom trying to determine whether this young man was suitable for his daughter. He continues to frown at the teen and straightens himself out to appear dominant and intimidating.

"H-Hello," Henry says, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "Are you Mr. Roberts?"

"I am," a deep voice responds.

"I'm here to pick up Violet."

A woman appears behind the man. She looks a lot more cheerful than the man, she smiles at Henry. He assumes that this is Violet's mother because the two look a lot alike with the same long, dark hair; only the woman's is graying in certain places and has a dimply smile all her own. Her eyes are a dark green and they seem to light up and take in Henry's appearance with much excitement.

"Hello, you must be Henry," she chirps, holding her hand out.

Henry wipes his sweaty palm on his pants before shaking it. "Yes, I am, nice to meet you, Mrs. Roberts."

"The pleasure's all mine. Violet will just be a few more minutes, please come in out of the cold,"

Henry nervously steps over the door mat and enters the warm home.

The house is as equally nice on the inside as well as the out. The front room has an old oak table that holds a vase of flowers. Behind it is a mirror that reflects Henry's anxious expression back at him. The hardwood stairs are to the left that has family pictures spread along the adjacent wall. The closet door to his right is made of solid oak and a lovely blue rug covers the foyer.

"You have a lovely home," Henry says politely.

"Thank you very much," Mrs. Roberts smiles.

Mr. Roberts continues to stare Henry down as the boy waits with the flower in his hand.

"Who is driving you to the movies?" the father asks.

"My mom's boyfriend," the teen responds.

"So your mother is not married?"

"JOEL!" Mrs. Roberts gasps. "How rude. I'm sorry Henry, Joel is very protective of Violet, she is the youngest after all."

"Th-That's okay," Henry swallows. "No Mr. Roberts, my mom is not married."

"How is she doing by the way?" Violet's mother asks. Of course, Violet would've told her parents about his mother's past situation.

"She… she's fine thank you for asking. She's happy to be home."

"I'll bet…"

Just then Violet comes down the stairs. Henry's breath leaves his body as he looks at the lovely girl standing in front of him. Her dark hair is styled into loose curls that hang around and frame her lovely face. She wears makeup that highlights her eyes and overall beauty. She wears a dark purple top that has sort of frilly sleeves and a black skirt with matching kitten heels. She wears a small gold necklace that has her initials on it. She smiles and blushes when she sees her date and then stands a few inches from him.

"Hi Henry," she says in a soft voice.

Henry's eyes are so wide in admiration that it looks like they might fall out of his head. His mouth is slightly agape. He immediately collects himself once he sees her father's stern glance behind the beauty. He straightens up and smiles.

"Hi Violet, you look beautiful,"

"Thank you," she smiles at him.

The teen practically crushes the stem of the carnation. "I uh, I brought this for you."

"Oh, thank you," she says, accepting the gift. She puts it to her nose and sniffs it. "It's beautiful, but do you mind if I leave it here so Mom can put it in some water?"

"N-Not at all."

"I'll just get my coat," Violet says. She hands the flower to her mother and then brushes past her date to get to the closet.

Once she's dressed for the cold, she hugs both her parents.

"Goodnight sweetie, have fun," her mother calls.

"Be back by eleven," her father adds as the two walk towards the car.

"We will Dad, don't worry," she calls back.

Once the two reach the car, Henry helps her into the front seat and then sits in the back.

"Hi again Mr. Jones," Violet says.

"Hello Miss Roberts," the dark-haired man says.

"Just call me Violet," she says.

"If you insist."

The car ride to the movie theater is very quiet, none of the passengers feel the need to talk to one another. Once the car pulls up, Henry scrambles to open the door for her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I'll pick you up after 10," Killian says.

"Thank you again, Mr. Jones."

"Please, call me Killian, Lass."

"Goodbye Killian," Violet says before starting to walk to the theater.

Henry gives one last look at Killian who nods before driving off.

The teen's heart is pounding as he runs to catch up with his date. He holds the door for her and the two get in line for tickets. The couple stands in silence, not quite sure what to say.

"Sorry about my dad," she apologizes.

"What?"

"Sorry about the way he acts. He's so overprotective of me. It gets so annoying. He learned to try and intimidate or scare any men who come to his door after my sister tried to date the local motorcycle bad boy."

"How'd that work out?"

"She dumped him the minute she saw him kissing another girl."

"That must've sucked."

"She was kind of upset for awhile, but then she started dating the captain of the football team and everything was forgotten."

"And is she still with him?"

"Yes," she answers as the line begins to move a bit. "My dad is okay with him now, but still doesn't approve of anybody who wants to take his precious princesses away. It's why I've steered clear of dating for so long."

Henry is shocked by this new information.

"Y-You mean you've never dated before?"

She looks at him. "Does that surprise you?"

"A little," he says.

"Why?"

He swallows. "W-well because you're so popular and… pretty."

Violet laughs a little and blushes. "You're sweet, but I'm not that popular at all."

"I know I'm not," Henry mutters.

"You are to me," she says, grabbing his hand. It feels very soft and this makes Henry's heart go wild. His cheeks burn a hot red and he looks down into her beautiful eyes. How did such an oddball like him meet up with a girl like her?

"Thanks," he says.

The two buy their tickets and then go to get snacks. Henry treats her to whatever she wants. Violet goes for a _Coke_ and a pack of _Red Vines_.

"I absolutely love licorice," she tells him as buys popcorn and a drink.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it' my favourite candy. I used to make my sister trade all of her licorice with me on Halloween. And if she refused, I stole it anyways."

Henry laughs a little.

"What's your favourite candy?"

"Uh… either _Sourpatch Kids_ or _Mars bars_. My mom hated the sour patch kids because of all the sugar they leave behind."

"Ooh, those are good," she smiles as the two enter the theater.

The two find their seats and wait for the movie to begin. As the opening credits come, Henry looks over at Violet as she eats a few of her licorice strings. He can't help but be taken by this girl. Even in the darkness of the movie theater, she looks very pretty. He offers her some popcorn and the two watch the screen for a long time. As a romantic scene between StarLord and Gamora comes up, Henry finds himself holding his date's hand. His hands are slightly greasy from the butter, but she either doesn't notice or doesn't care.

…

After the movie, the two go across the street to a fairly nice restaurant for dinner.

"I just can't believe how cute Baby Groot was," Violet coos.

"I think they only did that to sell toys," Henry says.

"Probably, man, Kurt Russell looks so old, now doesn't he?"

"Yeah, have you seen any of his other movies?" Henry asks as they are led to a table.

The two order their meals and try to keep talking. They eventually go on to talk about their favourite books, which was a topic Henry knew well. He tells her about the fairy tale phase he went through, despite wanting to stop himself. Something about Violet made him trust her, that she wouldn't reveal the secret to anyone. She goes on to tell him how she had a _My Little Pony_ phase followed by _High School Musical_. The two laugh and talk over dinner and even split a dessert.

When the bill comes, Violet would not take no for an answer, insisting they split the bill.

As they leave the restaurant, Violet slips in her heels on an icy patch, but fortunately Henry's right there to catch her.

"Thank you," she gasps as he helps her stand up straight again. "I shouldn't have worn these heels in the snow."

"It's okay, does this mean we're equal now?"

"What?" she looks at him in confusion.

"Equal, remember you saved me at the party and now I saved you from hurting yourself on the pavement."

"Are you keeping score?" she asks, raising her eyebrow.

"Maybe," he smirks.

She then scoops up some snow and tosses it in his face. He counteracts by dumping snow on her head. She squeals in the cold. They begin to throw snow at one another in the parking lot until Killian drives up to pick them up. The two are red in the face with the cold and laughing. The docks man has a feeling that it was a good date.

…

As the car pulls up in front of Violet's house, both she and Henry exit.

The two walk towards the front door, but she stops him before they get there.

"I had a really great time tonight," she says.

"Me too."

"I think we should do this again."

"Are you asking me out?" he asks in surprise.

"Well, I asked you to the party, you asked me out tonight, I'd say it's my turn."

"Are you keeping score?" he grins.

"Maybe,"

The two laugh and then they slowly begin to lean into one another. Henry can smell her perfume and looks deeply into her eyes. Violet pulls him close and their lips meet for a moment. They both inhale their date's scent and they clasp hands at the same time.

Suddenly, the lights flicker on the front porch, separating the two.

"Damn, my dad saw us," she mutters.

"Is that why you didn't want to say goodnight at the front door?" he asks.

"Yeah, I have to go. I'll text you tomorrow and I'll see you on Monday."

"Okay,"

"I had a really great night, thank you so much."

"Me too, thank you too."

He watches as his date goes to the front door and opens it with her key. She waves one last time before disappearing inside.

Henry has the widest grin on his face as he goes back towards the car. Killian looks up from his phone, purposefully distracting himself to give the couple their moment. He smirks at the lad as he climbs back into the car.

"You did good, mate," he says. "You did well."

…

Emma is sitting up watching TV and eating strawberry ice cream when she hears the door open, she turns to see her son who seems to be glowing and grinning from ear to ear.

"Hi honey, how was your date?"

"Good," is the response.

"Did you have fun?"

"Yep,"

Emma wants to go on, but she catches Killian's glance and decides to leave it at that. She watches her son disappear into his room, while her boyfriend joins her on the couch.

"Did you give him any advice?" she asks.

"Men don't tell their dating tips," he grins.

Emma playfully hits his shoulder and then looks down at the listings on her laptop. Regina had emailed them over earlier, giving her something to look at when it came to finding a new place to accommodate their growing family.

 _A/N: Violet's High School Musical phase is based on my own from when I was younger. Thank you for all the comments and support. I will update soon._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

(This chapter takes place during Henry's date)

Emma begins cooking dinner for just her and Killian as her son is out for the night. She begins heating oil on the stove and has to wipe a few tears from her eyes. She cannot believe her son is going out on a date. It seems only yesterday she and Neal brought him home from the hospital. They were in a bad part of Boston at the time in the tiniest apartment imaginable. Both were struggling to make ends meet and they were basically sharing a pull away couch in the front room because that's where it was warm. Henry ended up sleeping in an old stroller and a used baby carrier for the first few months of his life. That is until Neal managed to get a promotion at one of his jobs, allowing them to move to a safer part of town. The apartment was big enough that Henry could have his own room and they bought a second-hand crib. Once Emma managed to get a more stable job after Henry turned one, they moved again. Emma wanted for them to buy a house so their son could grow up like many young children, but Neal says that would cause them both to declare bankruptcy. When Henry was five, they moved to the apartment they lived in now, which was much more spacious. It became even more so after Neal left.

Emma puts on some chicken to fry and feels the baby kick. She knew that she would have to move, hopefully, this time to a house. Their family was growing. If she was honest with herself, she should have moved a long time ago, a place with more space for her and her teenage son… it's just that she felt so comfortable in the apartment and didn't want to move.

Her mind begins to wander. She wondered if Killian would want to move in with them. He kind of already had, but again, they were still in the very early stages of their relationship. For the longest time, Emma never went past one-night stands and now, she was carrying her boyfriend's baby and he was basically becoming part of her everyday life. It was a lot to process. She had yet to bring this problem up with Archie. Her whole life she'd always been on the move and built up the walls to protect herself from getting hurt, but now she had to start thinking about the future. The future of her son, the future of her daughter and her future… with Killian.

She begins making a stir-fry dish with various vegetables and remains so lost in thought she doesn't hear Killian come in.

He removes his coat and has an urge to surprise Emma with a hug from behind. He swallows and his mind flashes back to the last time he tried that, she screamed and unintentionally slapped him in self-defense. His heart aches slightly and then remembered what Archie told them, to let her come to him. He goes to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water. He waits for his lovely Swan to turn around. Even the back of her was beautiful. Her hair shines in the light of the kitchen and her entire body seems to glow. Her body was changing to accommodate the baby, but she still had curves that turned and shifted as she moved about the kitchen.

She eventually turns to see him, she's slightly surprised but then she smiles.

"Was he nervous?" she asks about Henry.

"Aye."

"Did you give him any advice?"

"Just to always be a gentleman to her, it goes a long way."

Emma cocks her head to the side. "I had no idea you were so old-fashioned."

"The one good thing that my father taught me was to respect those you love and always be polite when courting a woman."

Emma becomes curious. Even though they were practically living together, neither of them had really told their backstories. She could only recall bits and pieces of his childhood, but not much else. Her mind goes back to what Dr. Hopper suggested about just talking. She swallows. Her life and childhood were anything but happy, being abandoned by her birth parents on the side of a highway, being in the foster system all her life, her life of rejection and crime, her teenage pregnancy with Neal. It all seemed like a mess, something she didn't exactly want to revisit.

"Is that the only thing he taught you?" she asks quietly.

Killian swallows and fights back his own tears. "Also, to never abandon your family."

Her heart swells when she hears that. Now she definitely wanted to know more. He might know what it was like for her to feel like that too. Hers was probably more extreme than his, but it was a stepping stone.

…

As they sat down to dinner, both eat in silence. Emma's stomach turns several times. She thinks it might be the baby reacting to the spicy food, but it could be the idea of just talking to Killian. Making a new connection, expressing her feelings, taking it slow as everything seemed to be happening so fast.

"So, uh…" she begins, twirling a red pepper on her fork. "I've been thinking about what Dr. Hopper said, and I'd like to try the just talking part… if you're okay with that?"

Killian locks eyes with her and gives his best smile. He was happy she was open to the doctor's suggestions and wants to begin healing. "Of course, I am Swan, I'll do whatever you want to do."

"O…kay. I've just been thinking and… I know we've been… together for a while now, but we don't know a lot about each other."

"How so?"

"Like where you grew up or what school you went to."

Killian swallows hard. He knows he's going to have to relive some painful memories if that's what Emma was implying. He knew she had just a heartbreaking past, but… he knew they should get to know each other better. To connect on a deeper level.

"Alright… do you want to start out small?"

Emma fights back tears from her eyes and nods. "Where did you grow up?"

"A small town in Ireland. Just outside of Dublin."

"Really?"

"Aye, smallest one you ever did see. Neighbours knew their neighbours."

"It must've been beautiful."

"It was. The small seaside town where the beach was your backyard."

"Well, that explains your love of the sea."

"Aye. I grew up with the ocean in my blood. Early on my father would take me and Liam sailing. He taught me everything I needed to know."

"So when did you come to the States?"

Killian swallows. "After my mother died… My father thought that Ireland held too many memories so he packed Liam and I up and moved overseas."

"That must've been hard," Emma never really knew a place of permanence, she was always being moved from place to place.

"Aye, especially after we buried my mother there. It felt like we were leaving her behind."

Emma instinctively reaches out and grabs his hand. Killian is slightly surprised by this, but also very happy that she was making the first move for contact. He is fighting back his own tears. The two of them leave their dinners half-eaten and just begin to talk.

"When did your father leave?" Emma asks quietly after he told her how the three of them struggled for so long. He and Liam had to get jobs just after they turned ten, anything to get a little money. His father was barely home and Liam had to care for him. The two grew close and tried to do things that all boys did, play games, ride bikes, eat sweets… it still didn't feel normal though.

"When Liam turned sixteen…" he grasps her hand tightly for support.

"How did he do it?"

"He just left a note on the door and gave the number of a shelter we could call. Fortunately, since Liam was sixteen, he could live on his own and live on welfare. He fought to keep me considering I was all he had."

Emma is tearing up like he is, very similar to the way Neal left her and Henry.

"It must've been hard."

Killian just nods, wipes a few tears from his eyes.

"Liam worked day and night. Insisting that I stay in school. He dropped out to find a better job, but he made me stick with it."

"Then he joined the navy?"

"Aye, brought him some comfort, going back to the sea. I did miss him, but we kept in touch. I too wanted to join up Liam insisted that I go to college and make something of myself."

"And did you?"

"I found you, didn't I?" he smirks. "I got a job on the docks so I could be there to greet him when he got back, but that one day…"

His blue eyes close and he lets the tears fall. Emma reaches over and even though she's uncomfortable, she hugs him tightly. Killian strokes her arms, happy for the comfort. Reliving his memories were painful… very painful. The wound was as fresh as the day it happened. He missed his brother, he wished beyond everything that he was still here. That he could live his own life. Maybe he'd have a wife and family of his own by now. Finding a new job and finally finding peace and security, something he never had growing up. It seemed so unfair that Liam worked so hard to provide for himself and his brother, only to be snatched away like that… it was so cruel.

The two are silent for a long time, the food going cold on the table. Emma knows she's probably asked enough of him for one night. At least she knew more about him and now… it was her turn.

She was extremely afraid, very reluctant. It was like jumping off a cliff into a black void, into s sea of misery and agony. She holds on to him and kisses his forehead.

"Thank you for sharing," she whispers. "Now it's my turn."

"Love you don't have to…" he begins.

"No… it's fair," she swallows. "I…I was born at some hospital outside of Colorado and my parents… left me on the side of the highway, obviously not wanting to care for me."

"Oh Emma," Killian says. He offers his arms out to her and she hesitantly leans into them. Their chairs scrape together as they become closer.

"A-August found me and brought me back to his orphanage. I was eventually adopted by a couple until I was almost three and then they gave me back because they had their own kid."

Killian's heart twists in his chest. He felt so much anger boil inside him. Here he thought his life was bad; his seemed like a dream compared to hers. He kisses her forehead and holds her a bit tighter.

"I bounced around from foster home to foster home… some…were abusive… some… they didn't even care…" Emma feels the tears roll down her face. She doesn't know if she can go on any further. She leans into her boyfriend, even more, wanting that support. The feelings of loneliness and abandonment return. She'd felt some of these sickly emotions while she'd been kidnapped, but they weren't as severe because she knew she had Henry, Killian and all her other friends to think about. Her mind begins to flash to her time in captivity. She begins to shudder in his strong arms. Eventually, she pushes back. She looks into his hypnotic blue eyes, her heart races. She could see the pain on his face. She knew her rejections of his affections hurt him… it hurt her too, but she thought that she was protecting herself and she was trying to prevent flashbacks.

"I ran away from the system when I was sixteen. I did a bunch of things I'm not proud of until I met Neal. He was the first person who was actually there for me, made me feel important… And when Henry came, I felt better… not great but better."

"How do you feel now love?" he whispers.

"Scared…" she admits. "Nervous and scared, but not alone."

"And you never will be," he says. "I promise you that."

She leans in, ignoring the ill feelings in her stomach and kisses him. He smells like pine, leather, and a little bit like the sea. Maybe it really was in his blood. She pulls in closer, hungry for him. He's still a bit cautious, afraid that this was too good to be true, but she had her hands on his collar, pulling, not pushing. He gently strokes her hair between his fingers and lets her come to him. She practically ends up in his lap as they give in to their passion again. They hadn't been this intimate since her rescue, and not this level of passion since their first weekend together. The two continue to kiss, their tongues tasting one another, their hands going over each other's bodies.

…

The phone ringing eventually interrupts the wonderful moment. Sighing, Emma picks it up to hear Mary Margret on the other end. She asks how they've been doing and if Henry was on his date. Emma gives Killian a look of apology and goes to talk to her best friend. He shrugs and begins cleaning up dinner.

The two women talk for quite some time, Mary Margret asking when she can bring Jacob over and if the therapy was going all right. She told Emma that she and David were also considering seeing a counselor because they too had nightmares and guilty feelings over her abduction. Emma gave them support and by the time that the mother heard her son crying, it was time for Killian to go pick up Henry.

Sad that their moment of intimacy had been interrupted, she was on the verge of tears. This was the first time that she hadn't been afraid of being near Killian and being held without the fear of being raped or abused. It seemed like a good step forward, only for everything to come to a halt. Killian goes over to her and kisses the side of her head. He too was disappointed, but it felt so nice to feel her warmth again and the same passion that he'd fallen for in the first place. Maybe he could give it time.

When she's alone again, Emma begins thinking about the future again. She knew there wasn't any way to avoid it. She'd have to start looking for a place for all of them. Just the house, she'd worry about the more complicated details later.

She sits down with some ice cream, turns the TV on, but pretty much ignores it and texts Regina, explaining her thoughts. She wants some reasonably priced homes with at least three bedrooms and that was near the harbour or beaches. She now knew that living by the sea would be important to Killian, that it gave him comfort and he'd want their child to grow up like he did.

Regina emails some listings and Emma begins scrolling through them as Henry comes home.

"Hi honey, how was your date?"

"Good," is the response.

"Did you have fun?"

"Yep,"

Emma wants to go on, but she catches Killian's glance and decides to leave it at that. She watches her son disappear into his room, while her boyfriend joins her on the couch.

"Did you give him any advice?" she asks.

"Men don't tell," he grins.

She closes her laptop so he cannot see what she was searching for. She looks deep into his eyes and kisses him again. She would have to tell him eventually and actually ask for him to live with her. Her stomach twists, wondering how she's going to do this.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Are you really sure it's in my price range?" Emma asks over the phone to her real estate friend, looking at the house that Regina had suggested she should buy. She was staying home the next day while Killian was at work and Henry at school. She decided to do the house searching in secret for right now, just until she found something she liked and then she'd talk to the men about it.

The place was very beautiful, a three-story home that had the slight resemblance to a castle with a hexagonal room on the one side with a pointed top that resembled the turret of a castle. It was painted gray, had a porch that stretched around the back and a white picket fence out in the front of it. It was in the neighbourhood that was very close to the Boston Harbour, so much so that one could stand on the third floor and see the sails of the boats. There were plenty of windows and a yard, perfect for children to run around in. It was a quite beautiful, with five bedrooms, a fully stocked kitchen, dining room, living room and basement, but it looked far beyond what she could afford.

"Trust me Em, it's in your price range. Besides, Killian wants to be near the sea, doesn't he?"

"He never explicitly said that, but I thought it might be nice to bring it back to him. He wants to remember happier times back in Ireland."

"That's nice."

"But Regina, I don't think I can afford it…"

"Why are you so worried about price?"

"Because I want to be able to send my son to college, plus new babies are not cheap…"

"This place has been on my listings for awhile but nobody is willing to buy it."

"Why?" Emma asks suspiciously, wondering what the catch was.

"Because they say it's too old-fashioned, or it's too big for just the two of them…"

"It's too big for us," Emma points out.

"For three almost four people, I doubt that. There's plenty of room in case the family ever gets any bigger."

"Whoa, whoa, who said anything about…"

"I'm just saying, if it does work out with Captain Dreamboat, you might want to make the family bigger."

"We're already having one, we don't need anymore!" Emma states firmly.

"Oh, come on Em, haven't you ever thought about expanding the family more? Give Henry a few siblings."

Emma shakes her head. "No…" Which wasn't a total lie... One baby was definitely enough for now. This pregnancy came out of nowhere, for the most part, and the last thing she needed right now was to think about having more children. There was so much going on that the thought of having a big family did not cross her mind. However, like most women, whenever they got a new partner, they would think about what it would be like to have children with him. Emma had even considered it when she was with Neal, but to date, both her pregnancies had been unplanned and she still had to make drastic changes to her life in order to accommodate them. She'd never had a family growing up, so she never knew what it was like to have siblings or do things that families did, like taking trips, playing games, or having family meals. She'd been in the foster system her whole life and never had a stable place to call home. She wasn't even sure if she truly was mother material. Henry turned out all right, but it hasn't been easy for either of them.

Emma knew Regina would trade places with her in a heartbeat. The real estate agent always wanted to have children but couldn't, which garnered a lot of sympathy from her friends. For a split second, she thought about letting Regina adopt the baby but immediately changes her mind. She knew that she couldn't part with the tiny life inside of her, the baby kept her sane in those months of captivity, it was her companion when she felt the most alone. Plus, neither Killian or Henry would ever forgive her if she gave the infant to someone else, even it was someone they knew like Regina.

"Okay, well I can set up an open house so you can come and look. Have you told Henry yet?"

"No, he's having a lot of trouble dealing with Killian living with us as it is and he just started dating…"

"I heard, how did it go?"

"He said it went fine, he's not really telling me much."

"Doesn't surprise me, I never told my mom about who I dated."

"Right," Emma restrains herself from bringing up Daniel.

"But you only have three months left Emma and there's not enough room in that apartment for a baby to make four."

"I know," she sighs. "I'm just afraid of how that conversation is going to go."

"It's something we all have to face Em, but I'd do it sooner rather than later."

"Noted," she sighs. "I've got to get out of the apartment. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," Regina says before hanging up.

Emma shuts her phone off and goes for her coat. She needed to get out of the apartment for fresh air. Being cooped up was not what she wanted, besides, she'd been forcibly kept inside for so long that she needed to take advantage of that liberty now. She knew this is what it would be like when the baby comes so it's better to use that last bit of freedom she has before her life changes again.

She walks out into the sunshine and bitterly cold wind. It immediately stings her face and she shoves her hands in her pockets. She regrets not grabbing gloves. She trudges through the snowy streets, trying to embrace the cold air. Cars pass by on the street and people walk past her minding their own businesses. She walks along one of the main streets and sees that the shops are decorated with red, white, and pink hearts, symbolizing the approach of Valentine's Day. Cards line the windows, displays of stuffed animals holding hearts or kissing each other can be seen and the smell of chocolate galore wafts through the air. Emma wrinkles her nose in disgust, she'd been turned off of the holiday a long time ago. To her, more people ended up broken-hearted on this day than any other, her included. Neal never really tried to be romantic on this day, or any other because they were both so busy with their jobs and raising Henry. There were only two times she can remember him even trying something on this day was a candle-lit dinner on the fire escape at their first apartment. This was a year before Henry was born and they sat on the cold metal, drinking hot chocolate, eating Chinese takeout and watching cars go by. It certainly wasn't ideal, but at least he tried. The second time was when he broke into an amusement park and turned on all the lights. While illegal, she found it picturesque when they sat on the Ferris wheel and watched the lights reflect into the darkness. The thrill of doing something illegal was exciting to her and it did feel romantic overall, but the passion and attraction she once had for him fizzled out as time went on and they grew into adults.

She pushes past the displays and heads toward one of the local parks, trying to get away from the memory of her ex and the excessive commercialism of the winter holiday. She walks by a coffee shop and the scent of roasted beans makes her mouth water, but being pregnant with the baby denied her the option. She knew that she would also give up liquid caffeine if she breastfeeds the baby.

Emma sits down on a park bench near a tree to rest her feet. She sees a few children running around in the snow. They seem to be building snow forts and throwing the white powder at one another. They laugh and scream, chasing one another and acting like normal children.

Emma's mind fills with flashbacks to when Henry was young. Neal would take him to the park like this one to push him on the swings and kick a soccer ball around. In the winter, they might build a snowman or have their own snowball fights. She would sometimes join in and shove snow down Neal's back when he nailed her in the face with a white projectile. It felt normal and the two parents managed to forget their troubles for a little while. It felt like they were a family and yet, the happy memory fades and drifts away like the blowing snow.

She puts a hand on her belly. She wanted this baby to have similar happy memories, with Killian and her big brother. She really wanted the feeling to last a lot longer this time and not have her boyfriend run off. She knew Killian would never do that, but what if she did? In her fragile state, she was likely to do anything… What if she couldn't care for this baby? What if she could never get back to normal? What if she breaks this family up even more?

Tears reach the edge of her eyes. She reflects on these feelings inside, she knew she'd probably have to bring these up with Archie at their next session.

Emma then begins walking along one of the snowy paths of the park. It has more trees and brush, most were bare due to the winter months. She's still thinking about how to tell Killian and Henry about moving when she gets a weird feeling. It makes her stomach twist in anxiety. It feels like someone is following her. She turns around once and finds no one. Her heart pounds in her chest and she continues walking.

She tries to think back about to the house Regina suggested when a chill goes up against her spine. She hears something… She still has that feeling that someone is following her. The sound of boots, heavier boots, not just hers, padding in the snow. She lifts her hat up from her ears to make sure it's not disorienting her hearing. The sound continues against the ground. She turns and sees nothing, but someone was definitely there… so it seemed.

 _You just hate forests right now, after what happened…_ she thinks.

With that thought, her pace speeds up, hoping to lose whoever might be following her. Her heartbeat echoes in her head, her breath becomes laboured and comes out in quick white clouds. Her boots crunched against the snow… faster and faster.

She decides to test to see if someone was following her. She stops walking and pretends to tie her boot. She listens, the quiet was not helpful. Then, she takes slow steps, one at a time, seeing if the person would match the pace, quietening her breath as well.

 ** _Crunch… Crunch… Crunch…_**

Sure enough, the sound matches hers.

She quickens her steps.

 ** _crunch… crunch…crunch… crunch…_**

Emma goes into a full panic. She begins to run towards the end of the trail, not caring what happens. She couldn't fight whoever this was due to the risk of the injuring the baby but she might be able to outrun him.

Thoughts of those gray eyes and the thick build and wheezing voice come back to mind. The memory kick starts the adrenaline and Emma runs. Somehow, she manages not to fall in the snow. She can't think clearly, but she knows she has to get back to civilization.

Focusing on the end of the path, she presses on. The sound still seems to follow her, much quicker, likely trying to keep up.

She makes a sharp turn, hopefully out of view and sees a street up ahead. Finally, Emma exits the park and runs across the street. She picks the first shop she can find and slips inside. She makes her way to the back of the place and begins looking through a rack of clothes. She picks something that was now too small for her widening body, but she takes it back to the changing room without a second thought. Once she's there, she locks the door and pulls her feet up out of view.

Curled up into a ball, she lets the tears come. She also manages to catch her breath despite her sobs. Her entire body shakes with fear… the same fear she'd felt so many times before.

 _Why the hell did this happen to her? Was he still after her?_ He had to have been caught…

She knew deep down that this wasn't true. She hadn't talked to David about Arthur King in awhile now, wanting to avoid it all together, but she hadn't been called down to give another statement or how she wanted to press charges. The bastard was still out there, free to prey on other innocent women… but something told Emma that he wasn't done with her.

The baby kicks inside, reacting the sudden exercise and she cries even harder. She just wants to shut her body down, to not think about this. She wanted to move and hopefully, change her name… Why did she have to hide? He's the one who took me!

It's almost an hour before someone knocks at the changing room door.

"Ma' me are you okay in there? Do you need help?"

By this time, Emma had composed herself enough to come out of the tiny room without thoroughly embarrassing herself. She quickly thinks up a story in her head. She unlatches the door and faces one of the employees.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I just got some very bad news and needed some privacy."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the employee says. "Do you need a glass of water?"

"That would be nice."

"Do you need to call someone?"

"I will," Emma nods.

The employee guides her to a chair and brings the pregnant woman a glass of water. Emma sips it slowly, thankful for a simple act of kindness, something that made her feel the tiniest bit better. She then phones Killian to come pick her up on his way home from work.

In the back of her mind, she wants to tell him what happened, that she swore that she was being followed, but… it could've all been in her head. She also didn't want to worry him further. She makes up a story about how she went out for a walk and got tired because of the baby.

She waits outside the store until his car pulls up. She climbs into the warm vehicle and kisses him. He smells like sea water and rotting fish it seems. Wrinkling her nose, she thanks him.

"It's no trouble love, I'm just glad you were getting some exercise and found someplace warm to rest."

Emma forces a smile on her face. "Yeah, let's go home, I need to start dinner and you need to shower."

"Aye." He responds and he pulls away from the store.

Emma leans her head against the window on the way home and occasionally looks at the window, hoping that no one was following them.

 _Was it real? Tell me about it in your reviews._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A man walks into a local bar and sits on a stool, very far away from the other noisy patrons.

"What can I get you sir?" the bartender asks.

"A glass of your strongest whiskey please," he murmurs.

"Coming right up,"

The man keeps looking beside and behind him before looking down again. He keeps his eyes low, which are irritated by contact lenses and his lack of sleep. His hair is bleached a bright blonde colour and hidden under a baseball cap, while his tired body rests under a cheap pair of sweatpants and a discarded _Berkley_ sweater. He grips the side of the bar with such intensity, that one might think that he could break off a chunk of it.

Every sound seems to set him off, jumping or shifting uncomfortably in his seat, including the laughter of some drunken girls in the corner and the clinking of drinks across the way as several businessmen toast to something. He flinches when the bartender places the drink down in front of him. The man reaches into his back pocket and places a few dollar bills on the table. He begins to sip without even thanking the person who served him.

Once the golden-brown liquid had entered his system, the shady man feels much better. It improved his mood and took some of the relentless pain that plagued him away.

 _That damn girl…_ he was thinking to himself. _She played me and won!_

He grips the glass tightly before taking another long sip.

 _Now she's free and I'm on the run._

He'd been on the run for several weeks now. He'd been forced to take drastic measures to escape a fate worse than death. After the pregnant blonde woman vanished through those hospital doors, he knew the jig was up. He turned and sped walk out of the building. He got in his truck and drove away, as casually as he could. Once he'd reached the border of the town, he sped off as fast as the old piece of junk could go. He drove for many hours, far away. Eventually, he came to another town. He knew his face would be all over the news and so would his vehicle. He came across an old junkyard in the town. He parked the truck on the far side of the lot and then went looking for various tools he'd need to cover his tracks. Across the street from the junkyard was an auto shop. Much to his delight, there were cans of gas being sold inside. The place had been closed for the night, but this man didn't care. He smashed the window with a stray brick and stole as much gasoline as he could carry. He went back to the junkyard and doused the rusty truck in it. The thing was so old, he wasn't surprised that no one had tried to do this earlier. He soaks the thing, inside and out and then leaves a trail behind as he steps away from the coming inferno. Once he was far enough away, he took out a lighter and lit the trail. It didn't take long for the entire thing to go up in flames. He then threw the gas cans into some nearby bushes and took off running. He ran along some back fences of a small neighbourhood. In the distance, he heard sirens, likely trying to douse the blaze. He then goes to the nearest bus terminal. The place was closed for the night, so he slept on a bench outside the station.

When it finally opened in the morning, he used what money he had to buy a bus ticket. Anywhere that was far away from his crimes. He kept the hood of his coat up and his eyes down in hopes that the woman at the ticket counter would not recognize him. He tried to appear casual but the woman didn't say or do anything. She likely assumed that he was a drifter or a homeless person, looking for his first ticket out of town

When the bus showed up, he sat in the back and rode until the very last stop. Right back in Boston. Why? He wasn't sure, maybe he wanted to go back to what was familiar. Maybe he hoped that his wife would take him back. He knew the blonde one lived in this city and maybe… just maybe, by pure coincidence, he'd find her again and gain what was rightfully his.

He realized that he had no money of any kind so when a woman left her purse to go to the bathroom in a café, he stole it. He only took the money and then went to a drug store. He bought hair dye and other things he'd need to become disguised. He then went to a costume store and purchased some colour contacts to disguise his eyes. They may have changed the colour, but nothing could truly hide the darkness and unfeeling behind them. In a gas station bathroom, he became an entirely new person. He then found a job and worked enough to get a small apartment on the shadier side of town. A place frequented by local gangs and prostitutes. It was cheap and he accepted that. He spent money on alcohol and cigarettes, eating out a lot and basically keeping to himself. He'd walk around the city and still kept his eyes open, just in case he saw **_her_** again.

The man finishes his glass off and asks for another. He thinks about how close he'd been to finally be having that third child… the one he wanted to raise as his own, but now, with her gone, that disappeared. He fell for her little trick, playing on his weakness for the unborn child and she'd gotten away, slipped through his fingers and back to society. Now, she was home and he was on the run, far away from the life he once had. He downs the entire glass in one go to shake the memory from his mind.

 _That baby is mine_ , he thought _. I worked so hard to get it. I earned the right to see my child, no matter what the mother might think. I am that child's father and it belongs to me!_

Therefore, whenever he saw a blonde woman, he discreetly pursued her for awhile, to see if she was pregnant or had green eyes. He'd encountered one almost matching the description earlier in the day at a local park, but the woman became wise to the fact that she was being followed and ran. She disappeared in the streets and the man had given up pursuit when she went into a public place. He couldn't risk being caught and thrown in jail. For a split second, he thought I might've been her, but the odds were against it. She did look pregnant, but he figured she was just another woman. He knew he couldn't go to jail, he'd never survive and he would never meet his child.

Despite what he'd done to obtain paternity, he still wanted the baby. It could be like that _Raising Arizona_ movie, traveling all the time, living in a trailer with his little son or daughter. It wouldn't be ideal, but it would be better than his crappy life now. Maybe move out of state and find another woman, reel her sympathies in with the child.

The fantasy seemed far-fetched, but it still could happen, if he could find her.

After his last glass of whiskey, the man leaves and pulls his hood up before stepping into the night air. His thick heavy boots give a distinct crunch as he disappears into the night.

 _He's back! And he ain't going anywhere. At least we know what happened to him after that fateful day at the hospital. Please follow and review._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Emma spends the next few days a bit shaken up by the experience of being stalked in the park. She wasn't sure if it was real or not… maybe it was just her imagination or the fear of her PTSD. Dr. Hopper hadn't actually diagnosed her with it, but there was no doubt that she had it. The thing is, she cannot prove that she was being followed, she was the only witness. So from this, she decided not to tell Killian or anyone else about it.

 _It was probably just some coincidence_ , she convinced herself. Not particularly comfortable with it, Emma carries her handgun in her purse just in case.

…

At the next therapy session, Emma tells Dr. Hopper in private about her anxieties about telling her son and Killian about the possibility of moving. They needed the space and it seemed practical with the new baby coming, but she didn't feel ready to officially "move in" with her boyfriend yet. Also, she knew her son hated change. He never adjusted well to school and she can't imagine what moving might do, possibly making it worse. She was also scared for herself. She had moved before, but since she entered adulthood, she wanted a sense of stability after moving from different foster homes for so long. Her apartment is one of those means of constancy.

Archie listens intently and makes a few notes.

"I can understand your hesitation to do all those things," he nods. "These anxieties are perfectly rationale and moving is never easy in any family."

"I don't know what to do Archie," Emma sighs heavily, she brushes her bangs out of her face.

"Well, I can't tell you what to do Emma, but I can make a few suggestions that you are welcome to try."

Emma bites her lip. She sometimes wishes that Archie would tell her what to do, it would take the pressure off her, she'd be reassured and feel like she was doing the right thing.

"You are obviously nervous about living with Killian in general. It might be a good idea to take him aside and ask him what he'd like to do. Maybe he won't want to live you with you, maybe he will, I can't say for sure. Do you feel nervous about living with another partner again?"

Tears flood Emma's eyes and she swallows a large lump in her throat.

"Is it possible that you might be afraid that Killian might leave like your ex-fiancé did?"

She wants to feel offended, even angry at the doctor, but she knew that he had spoken the truth. She was afraid of living with a boyfriend again. She and Neal had been together for so long, raising Henry and although they had their problems, she thought they were happy. However, for him to just leave her and his own child behind was a punch in the gut… She tries to deny it in her head but she knows that she might be afraid that Killian will leave her and their baby too. It hadn't stopped Neal, why would it stop him?

She knew it was very unlikely to happen. Killian had had many opportunities to leave her after she went missing, but he spent many days and nights looking for her. He could have left when she thought she might be carrying her abductor's baby, but he said he'd be there for her. And when they found out it was his, he promised he'd be by her side no matter what to raise it together. He could have upped and left when they realized they were having problems, but he stayed put, getting them both into therapy. Still, despite all the opportunities before, he still could go, disappear from their lives in the future. She and Neal were together for ten years or more… she couldn't remember and he walked out of her and Henry's life.

With much hesitation, Emma manages a small, "Y-Yes."

"And why might that be?"

Emma is silent for a long time, uncertain of how to answer it.

"It might be because of how much I've been abandoned in my life…"

She gives a few details of her birth parents, her foster homes, August, Neal, some ex-boyfriends and so on…

"Have you talked to Killian about this?"

"N-No,"

"Would you like to ask him?"

Emma swallows a massive lump in her throat and wipes away some tears with her sleeve.

"I…I don't know…"

"Well," Dr. Hopper says. "How about you think about it for a little while. I will take Killian and talk to him about whatever he wants. And then, if you feel comfortable with it, or maybe in another session, you can ask him about it."

She turns red. She feels embarrassed to ask such a question. In the back of her mind, she knew Killian was unlike any man she'd ever dated… she cared for him… maybe even… loved him on some level and he likely felt the same. And yet, her mind still thought that he might run… Her insecurity was troubling.

"Take your time Emma, I'm here for you and so is he…"

…

After Killian's private session, the expectant mother is invited back in. Her mind had been in a tug of war the whole time, deciding whether she should ask him if he'd stay with her. She thought of different ways to phrase it, but all of them sounded like she was desperate for love. She was so afraid of how he might react or in general, how he might respond.

She sits on the couch next to Killian. He looks at her with those gentle eyes, the eyes that captivated her and made her melt. Her heartbeat hit overdrive whenever she was near him, she felt safe in his presence. She felt pain when he did and wanted him… she wanted him.

Even though it sends a shiver up her spine, she reaches out and grabs Killian's hand.

"Are you alright, Love?" he asks gently.

Emma gazes into his eyes and finds herself at a loss for words, at least for a little while. The anxiety is gnawing at her brain. One second she wants to ask, the next she wants to wait.

Finally, a kick from the baby changes it. She'd been so afraid and unsure, all it would take is a nudge in the right direction.

"Killian…" she begins. "You and I know that we've both had hard lives. We've been hurt and lost more than we've gained. Sometimes I think I'm still losing and I guess by now, I feel like I deserve it…"

"Oh, Emma…" he says, squeezing her hand.

"Please let me finish," she insists. "Neal and I were together for so long. We did things we weren't proud of, raised a son together…we were even going to get married…"

Some of these words hurt Killian a little bit, at the mention of her ex-fiancé. The two had intended to get married and he hadn't even said "I love you," to her. His stomach twists, thinking she might be pushing him further and further away now, that she might end it to avoid the heartbreak. Cementing those walls around her heart.

"But… in the end, we had been bending for so long that he broke and left me and Henry. I couldn't believe it and for a long time, I thought I was destined to never feel love… but then you came into my life. You made me feel things that I didn't know were possible and you did everything you could to show me you cared. When I was…gone, I thought about you and assumed you might've been gone too, but you stayed. You went beyond anything I could have imagined or asked of you and you still continue to surprise me. And now that we're here, with a baby on the way and ... I feel stupid asking this because you've proven time and time again that you won't but… is there a chance that you would leave us?"

Immediately, he answers without any hesitation. "Absolutely not." He leans forward and kisses her deeply. Instead of being haunted or repulsed, Emma feels comfort and relief by this answer and gives into her passion. She puts her hands on his face and pulls him closer. Her heart is soaring, tears fill her eyes as she feels his arms go around her.

Eventually, the two remember where they are and pull back, but he keeps his arms around her.

"Never will I ever leave you, Emma," he says with as much passion as the kiss. He feels tears come to his eyes as well. Before he can stop himself…

"I love you, Emma Swan and I always have."

Her green eyes go wide and he feels his heart drop. He cannot believe he just said that in the middle of a therapy session no less. She's unsure of how to respond to it, she looks like lightning struck her.

"I loved you since the moment I met you, Emma. I loved you and wanted to do whatever I could to make you happy. I fought to bring you home and that we could be together again. I may have had a rough life myself, but never will I abandon those that I love. You, Henry and the baby…" He gently puts his hand on her swollen belly.

Emma is in tears. Her head is spinning and her heart might break through her chest. Some stupid part of her mind wants to convince her that he's lying, but she knows he means it and… she loves him too. It just may have taken her a little longer to realize it. She wanted him to be with her, she could imagine a good life with him, she wanted his protective arms around her every night and his eyes gazing at her every day. She wanted to give herself to him and hold him forever. Her anxieties meant nothing, to hell with them, her walls are damned now! She couldn't imagine him ever leaving, she wanted to keep him here and make him happy too.

"I love you too," she says through her tears.

"Oh Love!" he says.

The two are crying and they kiss deeply once again. This moment was a true declaration of love; show the devotion to one another and the passion in their hearts. They were meant to be together, even though the road would not be easy for either of them.

It's a long time before they break apart again. They cannot stop the tears from coming, they look lovingly into each other's eyes.

"I can't believe we just said that," she whispers in disbelief.

"Aye," he agrees.

"I want to be with you Killian, I want to see your face every morning when I wake up, I want to kiss you goodbye as we go to work, I want you to hold me every time we go to bed…" She sucks in a deep breath. "Will you move in with me?"

"Are you serious?"

"Y-Yes," she says,

She then goes on to explain that she'd been thinking about it and she wanted a home that they could share with their growing family. She describes it as best she can, before bringing up the picture on her phone. She apologized for not making this decision with him, but Killian cannot stop smiling. He doesn't care at this moment, he wants to be with her, no matter where they end up.

He kisses her again, cups her cheeks in his hands. "Of course, I will Love, anywhere you go I will go"

The two embrace tightly, any other anxieties are forgotten, the joy of their happy moment could never be broken.

Soon, Archie sets up another session and suggest that maybe bring Henry if they plan to tell him about the move. The couple thank the doctor and walk out holding hands.

Now that one of them knew, the next task would be much harder than declaring their love. Telling Henry.

 _They finally said it! Now they just have to tell Henry. How do you think they should do it? Let me know._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"It's beautiful, Love," Killian says, staring at the pictures Regina had sent of the house Emma had been looking at. Both sit at the kitchen table looking at the place they soon might call "home."

"Really?" she asks. "You don't think it's a bit much?"

"It's perfect Emma. Anywhere with you, Henry and our little girl is a home." He kisses her cheek.

"I'm just a little concerned about the price. Even with the money I've saved, it's not enough to buy it, plus to pay for food, things for the baby and for Henry's college fund…"

"We could split the cost…"

Emma looks at him. "R-Really?"

"Unbelievably, I do have a fair amount saved up for such things." He frowns a little. "I still receive some compensation cheques from the navy and it is unfortunate, but I was also Milah's beneficiary."

"Really, how come her parents or siblings didn't get it?"

"When she knew she was dying," Killian grimaces. "She updated her will so that I would inherit her money and her parents would get nothing. They never treated her right and she felt that they didn't deserve to benefit from her premature passing."

Emma swallows a large lump in her throat. She had long since forgotten about Killian's previous love, who had died from cancer a year before she met him. He was clearly still broken up about it when she found him drinking in the bar.

Killian gets a distant look in his eyes. "For the longest time, I didn't think I'd get over my first love, Milah, but then I met you Swan and I realized that I could love again. I knew the moment I met you that I loved you…"

"Do you mean that?" she asks quietly.

"Every word,"

The two lean forward to a kiss. Their lips meet and they inhale each other's scent. Their hearts beat almost in rhythm. Despite the flashbacks she may be having, Emma enjoys the quiet moment with him… the man she loved… She couldn't believe she had admitted it.

She smiles gently, cupping his face in her hand. She gazes into his bright blue eyes. "I felt the same way after Neal left and one night stands were as far as I'd go, but you changed something in me, Killian. You gave me hope and you showed me a level of devotion I've never seen before. I guess on some level I knew that you and I loved each other…Sorry, it took me so long to admit it."

"A broken heart takes a long time to mend," he says soothingly.

The baby begins kicking in her womb and Emma puts her hand on the spot. Killian follows suit and the two feel the rhythm of their tiny child inside.

"The Lass is ready to move," he jokes gently.

"Now we have to convince the teenage Lad," the pregnant woman mutters.

It's something that she'd been dreading. She was wondering how she was going to tell him. Her mind rolled over and over the possible scenarios of how this might play out. She knew Henry would hate moving, he hated change in general and he'd always been fragile since Neal had left. Her one-night stands with other men were not appreciated, but he kept it to himself. He wasn't exactly okay with Killian before her disappearance, he might've felt jealous or betrayed that his mother was dating again. That likely changed when her boyfriend became one of her son's protectors and guardians during those horrible months in captivity. Even then, he was still not 100% okay with the docks man. So much had changed when she came home pregnant, meaning he'd be getting a new sibling and would have to share his mother. Additionally, Killian now stayed with them to the point that he may as well be living with them. Plus, he was dating now and she wondered how this would impact his relationship with Violet. The house was only a bus ride away from school, so he could continue going there, but relocation is never easy.

"He's not going to like it."

"Aye."

"And it's not like anything is set in stone. You and I like this house, but he may not… I want him to feel like he has a bit of choice and input in the decision."

At the thought of "choice," a feeling of dread filled her stomach. What if Henry decides to go live with Neal instead? She had not exactly been keeping tabs on her ex, as there was enough going on as it was, but there was talk that he might be relocating back to Boston to be near them since he no longer had a fiancée. Emma had not taken the time to consider how much Neal had sacrificed for her during her abduction helping the investigations and running the searches. She wasn't sure if he had done it to redeem himself or that he still had feelings for her.

The thought made her head spin. She knew on some level she'd always love him, but she loved Killian more. He made her feel something that she couldn't put into words. It was deeper and more passionate than what the two former "partners in crime" had had. She knew she loved the docks man, there was no question and she was now carrying his baby. The two were devoted to each other and the man looked at her the way all girls would want to be looked at. That they were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"That is reasonable…"

"I think I may have to tell him it alone… I don't think he'll…"

He nods and kisses the side of her head. "I understand Love. The two of us may have been through a lot, but I know he's not entirely happy with me yet."

Emma swallows. She thinks that she should maybe buy him something or treat him in some way, but that makes it seem like she's bribing him and would just make it worse. She had to tell him now before things went any further. A knot in her stomach was just getting tighter and tighter as so many scenarios played out in her head... most of them did not have "a happy ending."

"I'm not sure how though…" she sighs heavily.

The couple talks about possible ways for the next hour. Eventually, Killian leaves to give the two the space they needed to talk, leaving to spend the night at his apartment.

"Good luck Swan," he whispers, kissing her gently.

"Thank you," she says and swallows another lump in her throat.

Part of her wishes he'd stay for moral support, but it likely would have made the scene much harder for her son.

She decides that a face to face conversation with no distractions is the best. She then goes to the kitchen to make hot chocolate for both of them. She applies the whipped cream and cinnamon on top just as her son walks through the door.

"Hi honey," she says gently. "How was school?"

"Same," he shrugs.

"I made cocoa," she offers him a mug.

"Thanks, Mom," he says.

There's a long pause. The teenager is about to go to his room when Emma gets up the courage to speak.

"Can we talk for a minute?" she asks.

"Huh? What about?"

"S-Something important."

"I'm not in trouble, am I?" he asks nervously.

"No, but I need to talk to you."

She sits down on the couch with her mug. She then signals for him to join her. He reluctantly follows and sits next to his mom. His face is filled with concern and anxiety.

"Is the baby okay, Mom?"

"The baby is fine?"

"Did something happen with Killian?"

She bites her lip. "Sort of…"

"What is it?" His hazel eyes are wide with confusion.

Emma can feel herself tearing up. She knew this was not going to end well, no matter what she said, but she had to do it.

"I know these past few months have been hard on you and so much is changing all at once."

"Yeah. So?"

"It's just that, I want you to know I love you and that you will always be the most important person in my life."

"Mom, you're scaring me…" he says nervously. His eyebrows creased into an expression of worry.

Emma puts her mug on the coffee table. Her son follows suit.

"You know that with the baby coming and with… Killian here, there won't be enough room for all of us. So… I just started looking at houses that might suit our needs…"

The teenager's eyes begin to form tears. They start glazing over and they appear to express possible anger and definite sadness.

"Are we moving Mom?" he asks.

"N-No… not yet anyway. I want to talk to you first before we move forward."

"D-Does Killian know?"

She swallows and nods slowly.

Henry is fighting back tears. "Is…is he going to live with us?"

"Nothing's decided yet Henry, but it's a possibility. I know I needed to tell you…"

"So you could break the news that we're leaving?"

"No, I've just been looking at houses, nothing's happening."

"And you told Killian f-first?"

"He and I have had a lot of time to talk."

"Too much!" he snaps back. He can't fight the tears anymore, it's just too much and they begin to slide down his tired face. Emma is taken aback by his outburst. She knows he's right, she hasn't been spending a lot of time with her son, someone who's been around much longer than Killian. Someone who needed her more it seemed. Her heart breaks to see him so distraught and angry.

"Henry, you know we've been in therapy together, we've had time to think about our future…"

"You mean **your** future!" Implying it would be without him.

" **OURS** " she insists. She too is now crying hard. She's not going to win this battle. "Henry… I want you to be happy and I know you hate the change, but…"

"But nothing, you never asked what I wanted…"

"I'm doing that right now!"

"After you'd already talked to your boyfriend!"

His mother knows he feels betrayed, shoved to the side in favour of the new man in her life.

"Henry, I love you. Nothing will ever change that. You are the most important person in my life and I want to give you everything, including your best chance."

"My best chance is here! At home!"

"What will we do when the baby comes then?"

"Let her sleep in the closet!" he barks.

"You don't mean that!"

"I do. I don't want this baby, I don't want him around. I want things back the way they were!"

The words stung Emma hard, she hadn't realized how much Henry hated everything. He hated that he had no control and no say in his own life, but she was trying to give him that chance now and it was backfiring badly. She wanted to hit reset, start the conversation over. She wanted things to go back to a few minutes ago when her son was happy and relatively calm. It was always calm before the storm. She hated that it had to be done.

"Believe me I'd want the same thing, but this is the way things are."

"And it's stupid!" he snarls. His face is now red, tears staining his face.

Emma takes a breath and tries to clear her mind, to think before she says something she'd regret. Henry had already crossed that line, she shouldn't.

"I understand you hate it. I know you want more control and that's why I want to make this decision together…" she protests, ignoring his comment.

"You never asked my opinion when your boyfriend moved in."

She glares at her son. "You know I don't feel safe anymore. I can't sleep without him near me. It's not just about you Henry. I know I should've checked with you first…"

"Yes, you should have!"

"But this is the way things are and we both need to accept it."

"I won't!" he cries.

"I figured. I want you to have some control and feel a part of this family now."

"We were a family before him and the baby."

"No, we weren't, it may have felt like it but we weren't."

"Yes, we were!"

Emma just stops, not wanting this bickering to go on. Henry is still boiling over with anger, he wants to make his mother feel what he's feeling. All the anger and hatred towards Killian and the baby and everything that had happened. It wasn't fair, why couldn't things be the way they were?!

"You want my choice, here's my choice. I choose to go live with Dad!"

He then storms down the hall and slams his door, leaving his mother in tears and the mugs of hot chocolate going cold on the table. He hadn't even taken a sip.

 _Intense and very sad. Just a note, I don't know if the Liam and Milah things are actually legal or true, I just assumed it could be. Please read and review._


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Emma is left in utter shock as she stares down the hall at where her beloved son had vanished, claiming he no longer wanted to live with her. It is then that her entire body breaks down and she sobs. Her heart feels like it's been stomped on and shattered into a million pieces. Her shoulders shake uncontrollably and her lungs seem to struggle to breathe. She's at the point of hyperventilating.

She pulls her legs up to her chest and curls into a ball. It felt like the only safe position for her at this moment. She'd done it while in captivity and during her panic attacks, curling up to protect herself and the life inside of her. It was the physical manifestation of those walls that she built, meant to shield her from pain and suffering. However, it seemed that those walls had crumbled completely now that her son no longer wanted to be in her life or his baby sister's life. She could understand that this was hard for him, he always hated change but shouting that he wanted to live with his father, who had left the two of them for three years and had only recently resurfaced, made her wish that she was dead.

It felt like he didn't love her any longer. If Henry didn't love her, what was the point of living?

Emma cries and cries until she's at the risk of being dehydrated. She listens for any sounds from her son's room, but all she hears is silence. She takes the cups of hot chocolate, which were meant as a method of comfort and dumps them down the sink. She leans on the counter and just stares downwards as if the answer to her dilemma will suddenly materialize in the sink.

…

Henry lays on his bed, curled up into a ball as well. He too has been crying, but he's also angry. His mom drops this bomb on him, after all that had happened to them, she wants to leave? He just wanted everything to be back to normal, with no boyfriend, no abduction, no search, no baby, no therapy and no moving. He hadn't felt this awful since the night his dad left town. He felt abandoned then and felt abandoned now. No one seemed to understand what he was feeling and if he is honest with himself, neither does he… His body is a hurricane of emotions and there seems to be no eye of calm in sight.

He buries his face in the pillow. His mind fills with the happy memories that had taken place in this home. He remembers spending hours in the living room making pillow forts with his dad or playing with his toys on the bedroom floor. He remembers when he used to jump into his parent's bed in the mornings to wake them up so they could watch cartoons together and snuggle up with them at night to read his favourite stories. He remembers his mother drawing bubble baths for him, putting the suds on his head and making different styles with his wet hair to make him laugh. All his birthdays had been celebrated here, all the Christmases, Easters, Fourth of Julys and so on. There were too many memories here to just leave them all behind. Most were very happy and meant the world to him.

Then he thinks about the bad ones, most of them were recent. The times when he was afraid of the dark as a child, the time he broke his arm while jumping on the bed, the many nights spent tossing and turning, thinking about, and praying that his dad would come home. The last four months, he can barely recall sleeping at all from all the activity going on around him. The phone call that was his mother's plea for help and the few times when he was alone in a big empty apartment. He felt like he was in the belly of some hollow beast that had taken his mother from him. And for the past few weeks, waking up in the night from his mother's tortured screams, sounding like she was in pain. He always pretended to be asleep when she came to check on him, but his stomach twisted, wondering what horrors she must be reliving.

While the happy far outweighed the bad, he still couldn't understand why she wanted to move. Why couldn't the baby sleep in his Mom's room? It wasn't that big. Killian was already living here, which wasn't much to his liking either, but at least the docks man tried to be friends with him and did not try to replace his father.

It was still too much for him to cope. He was just expected to be okay with moving, which he wasn't.

He rolls over and picks up his phone from his nightstand. He scrolls to his dad's number and opens a text.

…

Killian comes home after a few hours to see Emma laying on the couch. He can still see the stains of tears on her face. Immediately, he drops every and rushes to her side.

"What's wrong, Love?" he asks, kneeling down in front of her.

"I talked to Henry about moving."

"And he hated it?"

"How could you guess?" she mutters sarcastically.

"What did the Lad say?"

"That he wanted to go live with his father."

Killian offers his arms to Emma, but she doesn't move from her position. Not sure if this was because of her emotional state of the trauma, he gently cups his hand on the side of her face. She seems to wince and leans into it, wanting the comfort. He watches as fresh tears forming in her eyes.

"He doesn't mean it, Love,"

"He sounded pretty sincere to me,"

"When people fight, things are said that are later regretted. I can't tell you how many times I told Liam I wanted to run away or that I hated him. It was in the heat of the moment and I never meant any of it."

"It's just so hard when you hear your son say he doesn't want to live with you anymore."

"I can't imagine how it feels."

"I just wish there was a way to fix it," she mutters, rolling onto her side to gaze into her boyfriend's eyes.

"Perhaps time is what he needs… to process everything."

Emma swallows a large lump in her throat. "Either that or make it worse."

…

 _Henry: Hey Dad_

It's a few minutes before there is a reply. His phone vibrates with a text.

 ** _Neal: Hey buddy. What's up?_**

 _Henry: Mom wants to move._

Again, there is a pause.

 ** _Neal: Where?_**

 _Henry: Don't know and don't really care._

 ** _Neal: Why?_**

 _Henry: Because it's stupid._

 ** _Neal: Not really, it makes sense with a new baby on the way._**

 _Henry: I still hate it. I can't take it anymore. I want to come live with you._

This time there is a really long gap of time. Henry's thumb taps impatiently, waiting for a response.

Eventually, the three dots appear on the corner of the screen, indicating he's typing.

 ** _Neal: Why do you want to do that?_**

 _Henry: Because I don't want to move anywhere._

 ** _Neal: You realize that I can't afford to keep the apartment, right?_**

The teen's heart sinks at this response.

 _Henry: Why not?_

 ** _Neal: Not enough money. What's wrong with living with Emma? What has she done that has hurt you?_**

It's Henry's turn to pause and think about it. She sprung this move thing out of nowhere and just after everything was getting back to normal, plus her boyfriend had moved in without real explanation.

 _Henry: She just put this on me out of the blue and she wants Killian to come live with us too._

 ** _Neal: That makes sense, he is the father after all._**

 _Henry: But not mine_

 ** _Neal: It pains me to admit, but I think Killian will be a better father than I was._**

This message shocks Henry. He father is saying that he was a bad parent and the dark-haired stranger living in this apartment now is better at it than he was.

 _Henry: No, he isn't!_

 ** _Neal: Yes, he is._**

 _Henry: HOW?!_

 ** _Neal: Has he ever hurt you in any way?_**

 _Henry: No_

 ** _Neal: Has he ever tried to control you and your life?_**

 _Henry: No_

 ** _Neal: Has he ever come home drunk and fought with your mom?_**

 _Henry: He has become drunk before._

 ** _Neal: But in front of you?_**

 _Henry: No_

 ** _Neal: Did he ever leave you when you needed him most?_**

 _Henry: No_

 ** _Neal: Did he ever cheat on Emma?_**

Henry swallows heavily. He had suspected in the months before his dad took off that something wasn't right. The late nights out were becoming suspicious and even though he was too young to understand it, he'd seen his father wipe off lipstick from his face multiple times and seen him come home in the morning while the kid was up watching cartoons. His eyes fill with tears and he squeezes his phone tightly. Neal was basically confronting the teenager with the notion that his father was not perfect and had various flaws.

 _Henry: No._

 ** _Neal: Did he ever give up on either of you?_**

 _Henry: No_

 ** _Neal: Then he's better than me in pretty much every. He loves your mom with his heart and soul. He'd remain loyal and fight to his very last breath for her. I let her slip through my fingers, thinking of myself and not you two. He'd never do that._**

 _Henry: He almost killed himself by drinking and driving._

 ** _Neal: Nobody is perfect, I especially, but no matter what I do to try and fix things, I still left you two, gave up and ran away._**

 _Henry: Why are you telling me this?_

 ** _Neal: Because I don't want you to throw away what you have. I threw most of my life away because everything was too hard and out of my control. I didn't stay to handle it or make a change. I made a choice to run. Sometimes it paid off, I met your mom that way, but most of the time it left me lonely and without love. You'll also spend the rest of your life wondering what might've been and live with the pain that you abandoned those who loved you. I don't want you to live with that pain, especially at only fifteen. You have your whole life ahead of you, filled with promise. I don't have any of that anymore. Didn't then and not now. I don't want you to regret your decisions._**

 _Henry: I won't. I'd rather live with you…_

 ** _Neal: In a cramped apartment, not having your own room, living by yourself because your father works late hours, having to buy, and cook for yourself, and get a job to pay rent. Be away from your friends, having to start all over, be away from Violet. Not likely having the chance to go to college, being stuck in a dead-end job… Never getting to see your mother, watching your new sibling grow up and teaching them everything… Sound like fun?_**

 _Henry: That's not true._

 ** _Neal: I'm sorry buddy but it is. My life is far from perfect, in fact, it's worse compared to what you have._**

There's a pause in messages, both Cassidy men at a loss for words.

 ** _Neal: I'm sorry that I have to do this buddy, but your mother and I agreed that the day you were born that we would do our best to give you your best chance. And sometimes having to do this means doing something hard. I won't let you live with me. Even if you try to run to my place, I'll just send you back. Your best chance is with the family you have, not with the family you lost._**

Henry lets his phone drops from his hand and onto a pile of clothes. Tears form in his eyes again and his body shakes with anger, but mostly sadness. His own father won't take him in, give him the life he wants (or at least thinks he wants). He squeezes his pillow so tightly, it looks like it might be popped in half. He then hurtles it across the room and sulks some more. His head is spinning and he has no idea what to do. He can't live here and his father won't take him in.

He looks over to where his pillow has landed, next to his open closet. He stops for a moment and looks at the dark green duffle bag laying on the floor of his closet.

A thought crosses his mind.

 _What do you think that might be?_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"I'm just worried he's going to do something stupid," Emma sighs, laying her head on Killian's shoulder. The two of them lay on the couch, waiting for any sort of movement from within Henry's room.

"He won't, he's a smart Lad," is his response, he gently strokes her blonde hair out of her face. "Moving is certainly not easy. I should know, I came from halfway around the world."

"I can't imagine how you must've felt at five years old, let alone fifteen."

"It is hard," the docks man admits.

"But it's not even official yet, we've just been talking about it and I've only seen like three houses," she protests.

"Unfortunately, he didn't want to hear that part."

"I wanted to give him some choice, he feels that he doesn't have control anymore and he hates the changes."

"Including me?"

Emma sighs and looks up into his deep blue eyes. "He doesn't…"

"It's all right Swan, I understand where he's coming from. I'm not his father and never will be. I can't fill that void, no matter how hard I try."

"But you've been so good with him, you're not trying to replace Neal and you treat him as more of a friend than a son."

"I could see him as my son, but I doubt he'll ever accept me that way."

"But you two have been through a lot together, he shouldn't hate you."

"Teenagers are as much as mystery as women. One day they love you, the next they hate," he smirks.

Emma wipes a few tears from her eyes and lifts herself up to kiss Killian.

"It's getting late, perhaps we should turn in?" he suggests.

"What about Henry?"

"I think a good night sleep is what we all need. Hopefully, everything will feel different in the morning."

"I hope so," she swallows.

The two get ready for bed and the entire time she's brushing her teeth, Emma keeps staring at her son's door. She wants nothing more than to throw it open and take her son into her arms. He's been her light, her pride, and joy of her life. One of the few good things she had in her life. She felt so nervous when she was pregnant with him and he ended up being the sweetest and most loving little boy. The smiles and freckles made her melt and still brings tears to her eyes. The times the two of them drew at the kitchen table or hunted for grasshoppers in the park made her heart swell. Most of those aspects were gone and she was basically living with a stranger. It was so frustrating and she was living with her own problems that obviously affected Henry as well. She wishes she could wave a magic wand and fix everything for him.

As she turns off the bathroom light, she pauses at his bedroom door. She wants to go in, but that might incite more fighting. Instead, her hand hovers at the door. She gently knocks.

"Goodnight Henry," she says in a gentle voice. "I will always love you."

A few tears slide from her eyes as she waits, hoping he'd come out to hug her. Instead, it's silent on the other end. She sighs heavily and then turns away, towards her own bedroom and the warm embrace of her boyfriend.

…

Meanwhile, Henry is shoving what he could into the green duffle bag. Clothes, toiletries, money, his electronics, anything he could sell for extra cash, a few books, some photos, anything he thinks he might need for his journey ahead. He wasn't sure where he was going to go yet, but away from here seemed reasonable enough. He digs through his closet and he finds an old worn book. He takes it out and sees the fading title of _Once Upon a Time_ on the cover. Some lump forms in his throat. It was his book of fairy tales, the one that had him obsessed with the concept for much of his childhood. He remembers insisting on having both his parents help re-enact the tales with bath towels as capes and wooden spoons as swords. He recalls asking for the same stories to be told every night before he went to bed and doodles of the various characters would show up in all his notebooks.

Henry cannot understand why he loved them so much. They weren't real and they did not reflect life. The hero's father never left him behind, his mother was never kidnapped, came back deeply troubled and with another hero on the way. The mother also never tried to move to another kingdom like now. The hero was never truly alone and had friends, human or otherwise and he always got a happy ending. None of this was true to life and he cannot believe that he used to believe in such fables. It was honestly embarrassing now.

He wants to toss it aside, but he hesitates. His hand shakes from holding the thick book. At the last minute, he shoves it into his bag.

Once he's all packed, he slips into a heavy shirt and a sweater, knowing that it will be cold. He thinks about bringing his school books but decides against it. If he was going to move schools anyway, what was the point of keeping them?

He stands ready to go, his head practically spinning. The voice in the back of his mind keeps telling him to stop it, that running away isn't the answer, but he argues to his conscience that this was the only way to escape it all. Everything was just too hard now and he needed to get away. He takes a long look at his room, many more memories come to the surface. It didn't matter if he was running away, he was going to be leaving it anyway. He shuts the light off so he doesn't have to look at it any longer and prevent the tears from coming. He sits and listens at his door, waiting for the sounds of his mother and her boyfriend going to bed. His heart jumps when she knocks on the door. He's worried he might get caught, but she just says goodnight, sounding very sad in the process. The voice begs him to reconsider, but he ignores it.

He waits patiently for a long period of time, hoping that the two would be asleep soon. Once they are, he'll sneak down the hall to get his coat and boots and leave as quietly as he can.

When he thinks enough time has passed, he opens his door as quietly as he can. He holds his breath it makes a low creak. He stops and waits for any sounds from his mom's room. When nothing happens, he gets the entrance open just wide enough for him to slip through with his bag. He walks on the balls of his feet, trying to make no sound at all.

He breathes through his nose and keeps the bag clutched in his arms.

 _One… two…_ he counts in his head, thinking of how many steps it will take to make it to the front door.

 _Five… six…seven_

 ** _Creak_** _!_

Henry nearly gasps as his foot touches a squeaky part of the floor. It's just outside his mom's room. He stops, shuts his eyes, and holds his breath. He listens carefully. Emma rolls over in her sleep and lets out a groan and Killian's soft breathing can be heard. Henry counts in his head, waiting to see if they wake up.

When they don't, he continues avoiding the squeaky part again.

Soon he reaches the living room and then the front hall of the apartment. He fumbles around, trying to find his coat in the dark. He's worried that this might make enough noise to wake up his mom. He pulls his boots and coat on and then slowly opens the door. He takes one last look at the apartment, even though it was dark and then shuts the door. His heart is pounding in his chest, his mind reeling from what he's doing, but at this point, he shouldn't care… no one else seemed to.

…

Henry walks along the snowy sidewalk, under various streetlights which cast dark shadows everywhere. The occasional car drives by, most shop windows are dark, but some restaurants and drug store signs glow neon colours indicating that they were **open late**. His feet crunch the snow and he keeps his bag over his shoulder. It seemed to become heavier and heavier with each step. He passes a few people, keeping his head down and acting as natural as possible. He didn't want to look like a runaway and draw suspicion to himself. The last thing he needed was someone calling the police, more specifically David.

He navigates the city, one street at a time, putting considerable distance between himself and what was once his home. He finally reaches a bus station, the place that could take him out of Boston and someplace else entirely. Maybe he could go to New York, or Denver, Colorado, the possibilities were endless. He looks at the prices for the tickets, he had enough for one and examined each destination. However, the place is closed for the night, they wouldn't open until nine a.m. the next morning. This would at least give him time to decide on where to go.

Henry shivers in the cold and sits on a nearby bench in a bus shelter outside of the station. He checks his phone. It was almost one o'clock in the morning. He had a long time to wait. He then shuts his phone off, hoping that when he turned it on and everyone was inevitably looking for him, he'd be long gone. He shoves his hands in his pocket and tries to use his duffle bag as a pillow.

…

Henry awakens to the sound of gun cocking at him. His heartbeat hits overdrive as he stares down the barrel of a gun. He swallows heavily. He cannot see who is threatening him. It's still dark outside and the streetlight keeps his attacker's face in shadows.

"Get up," it hisses angrily. The voice is gruff and seems to wheeze a lot as if he had been smoking all his life.

The teen is petrified in fear, unable to move a muscle. His mind races for a way to escape, but he saw none. The figure was much taller than him and very muscular, the scrawny teen could not fight him. He thought he could run, but he doubted he could outrun a gun. Maybe he could scream out, but his voice was gone. Tears were forming in his eyes and his legs felt like stone.

"Are you deaf? Get up!" it barks louder.

With great reluctance, he stands up, his arms by his sides.

"Get in the car," the shadowed figure orders. It then points the gun at a rundown looking vehicle that was idling on the street.

"What do you want with me?" Henry squeaks out.

"Get in the car," the voice repeats.

The teen slowly walks towards the old car. He pauses at the door. Henry prays that someone would find him and call for help.

"Open the god damned door," the stranger swears at him.

The boy's hand goes for the handle.

"HENRY!" a voice screams out. Both individuals turn to see a blonde woman running up the street after him. The boy's heart soared.

"MOM!" he calls out.

Emma is rushing up the street, trying to get to her son, to save him. The baby was weighing her down, but her first baby needed her. She has no weapon, but she will fight tooth and nail to save him.

Everything seems to happen in slow motion. The shadowed figure grabs the door handle, opens the back door, and shoves the teenager inside. It slams it shut, locks it, and turns the gun towards the pregnant woman running up the street.

"LET HIM GO!" she screams. She stops a few feet from the car, trying to avoid the gun.

"I can't get that baby in you right now, so I'll settle for the other one," the figure taunts. There is a very hoarse laugh and Emma realizes who it is.

Her entire body kicks into adrenaline mode, and she charges at the evil man. The man who wanted her son. One shot rings out, but she keeps going. She plows into the monster and begins trying to wrestle the gun away, her self-defense training kicking again. She should be concerned about her baby, but her son needed her more at this moment. Her heart was racing at an impossible rate and her fists harden as she tries to kill the man who was doing this. Her son's screams are coming from inside the vehicle, his fists pounding the window. They become rhythmic, just like her heart beats. The two struggle in the snow, Emma could feel his hot breath on her skin, the same breath that touched her vulnerable body during their rape sessions. She keeps fighting, but he won't give up that easily either.

Both are yelling obscenities at one another, rolling the snow, but neither will give up. Finally, the man manages to pin her down long enough to point the gun at her forehead. He gives her a dreaded grin, his yellow teeth reflecting the streetlight.

"As long as I take something that matters to you, it doesn't matter what else happens. Hope you get to raise that baby in heaven."

A shot rings out.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Emma bolts awake in bed, her heart pounding in her ears. She wipes away the sweat and tears. It was another nightmare, this one of her son being taken by Arthur King. Her head is pounding so hard that it feels like the room is spinning. She tries to calm herself down by taking deep breaths.

"Are you all right love?" a voice whispers. Killian lays next to her and reaches out to touch her bare shoulder. She shudders slightly and then turns towards him. She doesn't turn on the light, so she's only staring at his shadow in the gloom.

"Fine, just another nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks, doing what Dr. Hopper had suggested in order to try and cope with the nightmares.

"Not right now, I'm going to get a glass of water."

"Alright," he says, rolling over to go back to sleep.

Emma's bare feet pad down the hallway as she goes to the kitchen. She takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it in the sink. Her heart is still slamming against her chest from yet another nightmare. One where Arthur targeted her son and shoved him into a car. He was after her most vulnerable loved one, aside from the unborn baby. The image of her son being held at gunpoint replays over and over in her head. She readjusts her tank top and sips the water slowly. It does help settle her stomach a little bit, but she cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong. She decides to check in on her son, hoping he was now sleeping peacefully. The fight was still fresh in her mind as she walks down the hall.

Immediately, she stops. His door is ajar and his room is pitch black. She checks the bathroom, but it's empty. She then hurries into his room, turning on the light. His bed is empty!

The glass slips from her hand and shatters on the floor. Her heart is now threatening to break her rib cage. She feels light-headed and tears come into her eyes. Her voice is caught in her throat and she only manages one word.

"NO!"

Footsteps pound down the hall and Killian rushes into the room.

"Emma, what's wrong?"

He nearly slips in the puddle of water on the floor and cuts his foot on one of the stray glass shards. His own mind is racing as he scans the room where she's standing, realizing that the Lad is nowhere to be found. He barely has time to react as Emma collapses on the floor. He manages to catch her before she hurts herself and the baby. He then tries repeatedly to call Henry on his phone, trying to do something, anything to bring comfort to Emma. When no one answers, his own heart sinks. Emma is now sobbing and shaking erratically. She cannot fathom what has happened, her mind has gone completely blank. She begins to scream, a primal scream of fear and agony. Killian can barely hold onto her. He sets her gently on the floor and fumbles with his phone, trying to work through the pain of his bleeding foot. He frantically dials a familiar number, starting to get the word out and trying to find the teenager.

…

David awakens to his phone buzzing on the nightstand. He slowly reaches over and sees Killian's name. Immediately he senses that something is off, it's after 2 o'clock in the morning.

"Hello?" he says, now fully alert.

"DAVID!" an Irish-accented voice calls out frantically.

"What's wrong, Killian?"

"It's Henry, he's not here! Is he at your place?"

"N-No."

"What happened?" the lieutenant asks, switching on the light, knowing that this would disturb his wife. He can feel his blood pressure rising in anxiety.

"H-He's just not here, Emma says a lot of his stuff is missing. He might be running away."

The police officer nearly drops his phone in shock. The thought of Henry running off into the night frightened him and was completely unexpected. The teen was a good kid, never had any problems and did not fit the profile of a typical runaway. He knew that the boy loved his mother and never showed any indication of "heading for the hills." He swallows a nervous lump in his throat. He knows that Henry could easily be victimized by any number of predators or merely just die from exposure to the cold.

As uneasy and upset as he felt, he can only imagine what Emma's going through. He can faintly hear her sobs in the background. Killian explains what started everything and David has little time to process it while he sits on the edge of the bed.

"I'll be right there," he says before hanging up.

"What happened?" Mary Margret asks. She'd been listening to bits and pieces of the conversation but still did not have the whole picture. David was now rushing to get dressed, fumbling with his pants, and grabbing a shirt from his dresser.

"It's Henry, he's missing. Emma and Killian think he might have run away."

The teacher's heart drops and her stomach turns. She could never picture Henry leaving home like this, causing heartbreak, and worry especially to his mother. Something must've happened to make him act this way, immediately she begins getting out of bed too. She has tears on the surface of her eyes.

"What are you doing?" her husband asks.

"I'm coming with you," she insists, going for her own set of drawers.

"No, you need to stay home and take care of our son."

"I'll call for Elsa to come over and watch him."

"You need to stay home," he insists.

"No," she says firmly. She begins getting into warm clothing. "I'm coming with you.

The two go back and forth until Mary Margret finally says. "He's just as much our son as he is Emma's and I'm not going to let him die in the streets like this. I'm coming and that's final."

David sighs as he slips into his work boots. Once his wife had her mind set to something, there was no changing it, no matter how hard he tried to convince her otherwise. He'd learn to give in a long time ago and just let her do what she wanted. He knows she cares about Henry, he was basically their nephew and when any child was in danger, she'd fight tooth and nail to protect him or her.

She finally pulls on a sweater and grabs her own phone to call over Elsa to watch Jacob.

…

Regina jolts awake to the sound of her phone buzzing. She looks at the clock and sees that it's after two. If this is a hate call from Zelena to mess with her, she'd put the bitch in her place without hesitation. She growls angrily before picking it up and opening the call.

"I swear to God Zelena…" she begins.

"Regina, it's Killian. Is Henry at your place?"

"No why?" she asks, rubbing her eyes, trying to clear her head, wondering why Guyliner is calling her at two in the morning, if this was some implication for a booty call or something, she'd kill him.

"He's missing."

When the Irish man says those two words, she's out of bed and rushing across the room. She's not even thinking, but frantically trying to find something to wear. She stumbles around in the dark, trying to reach her closet. She stubs her toe on something but ignores the pain.

"Emma thinks he might have run away. They had a fight about moving and Henry said he wanted to live with Neal. We don't know what happened after that."

"Have you checked the whole apartment?" she asks, pulling on a sweater.

"Twice."

"You call his cell phone?"

"As many times as it would allow," is the answer.

Regina can hear Emma's tortured cries in the background. She herself was trying to keep the tears at bay, she had to find the boy who was practically her son too.

"I'll be right over, keep trying to get in touch with him." She then hangs up.

"What happened? What's going on?" a voice calls from her bed.

"Henry's missing," she explains, fumbling to find socks for herself. "Do you know where I left my keys?"

"They should be by the door," a dirty blonde-haired man with a scruffy beard and bright blue eyes answers. He wraps the blanket around himself and watches as the real-estate agent avoids the couple's piles of clothes on her way to the bedroom door.

"Do they know what happened?" he asks.

"He and Emma had a fight and they think he's run away."

"Do you want help?"

"I'll call you when I need it," she says before going for her coat. The man holds a sheet around his waist and follows her down the hall of her apartment.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, it'll take some time for you to find your clothes anyways," she half-heartedly smirks. She blows him a kiss, grabs her keys, and rushes out the door into the cold February night. Robin hobbles back to the bedroom and keeps his phone near in case Regina calls him.

…

"Are you sure you won't need my help?" Elsa asks as she cradles the baby in her arms.

The police officer and teacher are frantically trying to get everything together and get over to Emma's apartment. The platinum blonde wants to help too but agreed to keep the baby safe for now. Mary Margret had fed her son before wrapping herself in her coat and putting her boots on. David puts on his gun and other equipment in preparation for going back on duty.

"We'll be fine. If anything happens, we'll call you," he says, searching for his car keys.

"Be safe out there and bring Henry home," Elsa whimpers. Jacob looks confused and scared in his own right. Even though he was too young to understand anything, he could sense that his parents and now babysitter were very worried. He had cried a little bit after being disturbed from his slumber. His mother had fed him and now he watched with wide blue eyes as they left the apartment in such a fast manner. He could feel the stress and was none too pleased by the feeling.

As soon as the door slams shut, Elsa moves the baby to her shoulder and begins pacing the floor of the living room. She had gotten the call from Mary Margret and knew something was very wrong. Before the teacher had even told her what it was, she could hear the worry in Mary Margret's voice. She left the house in such a hurry that she'd put her t-shirt on backward. Anna and Kris had likely been woken up in the chaos, but Anna couldn't help as her ankle was still sprained. She had called Jack Overland, who she had secretly been seeing on her own time, on the phone and told him what was happening. The young officer said he'd be at Emma's apartment to help as soon as possible.

Jacob is not happy about the pacing and begins to make whining noises. Elsa then sits down on the couch and brings the baby to a more comfortable position.

"Shh, it's okay baby," she says in the calmest voice she can muster. "They'll find your godfather soon.

…

Meanwhile, the news had reached all of Emma and Killian's friends. All were on their way to the apartment to start searching. Aurora left a confused Phillip standing in the door of their bedroom as she hurried to get her winter clothing on, with very little explanation. MeyLing nearly sprained her ankle tripping over her hockey bag, trying to get out the door. Lacey went 20 miles over the legal speed limit on her way to Emma's house. August was grabbing all his investigation supplies, hoping it would help aid them in the search. Jack Overland radioed Nova to be on guard and get to the station as soon as possible. Even Zelena had heard what had happened, decided to be selfless and help find the helpless teen.

The entire group of friends was on their way over, keeping their eyes peeled for Henry as they went. All were worried, not just of the teen, but his mother, who could very well go into premature labour from the stress and shock.

Emma is frantically pacing the apartment, tears still streaming down her face. She's calling her ex-fiancé to fill him in on the problem. She was frantic and angry at the same time. Neal was trying to be as understanding as possible considering the circumstances, but he too was minutes from having a mental breakdown. While the two talk, Killian dials 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" a female voice asks.

"M-My girlfriend's son is missing!" the docks man barely manages to utter.

"Do you think he was kidnapped?"

"N-No, but he may have run away. We need the police as quickly as possible."

"Yes sir, we understand now where is your address?"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Henry shudders as he tries to be comfortable in the bus shelter. He may have a roof over his head to prevent any rain or snow, but the glass walls provide little protection from the bitterly cold wind. He tries to use one of his extra sweaters as a blanket and curling up into a ball to preserve heat, but nothing seems to work. He jumps at every little sound he hears and that includes a car going by or the wind rattling the branches of a nearby tree.

His heart continues to pound against his chest, the first reason by trying to keep his body warm and the second, he was afraid. Every sound was magnified out here in the cold. Everything seemed so much scarier and unnerving out here. He had no way of protecting himself and the cold hard bench was nothing like his bed at home.

At home, he had blankets and lights, warm clothing, doors with locks, running water, hot chocolate, and a mother who was always there to protect him.

The teenager feels a tear go down his cheek at the thought of his mother. She was probably still asleep with Killian and wouldn't notice he was gone until morning at least. He tries not to imagine how she might react to him running off…would the stress cause her to miscarry? Would she call the cops? Would she have search parties sent out? Would she even care that he was gone?

His body begins to shiver increasingly with the cold wind. His teeth chatter as it tries to conserve the last little bit of heat he had. He keeps his hands under his head to keep them warm. Part of wishes he'd grabbed warmer gloves at home...

 _No_ , it wasn't his home now, he had no home. He was going to find someplace else to live since his mother wanted to move and his father wouldn't let him stay at his place either. He felt completely alone. He had some money, he could find a place to rent maybe or find a hotel… just until he found a job and could pay for everything.

Henry's mind continues to race. He hadn't realized what he'd have to pay for anything if he was by himself. Rent, food, electricity, the internet, his phone bill, clothes… he may have some cash, but certainly not enough to take care of himself. He thinks about school; how could he attend now that he was on his own, should he try to register at a new school. What about Violet?

His heart sank at the thought of Violet Roberts. He'd be leaving her behind and after they'd just started dating. Would she miss him? Would she hate him for doing this? She could probably find someone better than him…

The shivering teen's mind goes back to his mother again. He remembers what it was like to be separated from her, for the four months that she was missing. The nightmares he had of receiving a phone call that they'd found her body. Those days spent putting up posters and when he'd just stare off into space, wondering if she'd ever come home. He could hear her voice over and over in his head, especially after the phone call, her pleas for help and that she loved him. He remembers when he could embrace her again, her warmth and her laughter at being reunited with her. To hear the joy in her voice and how happy he was to hear her call him "Bug" again. How safe he felt when she tucked him in that night. He had been happy, excited even, for her when she found out the baby was a girl and it wasn't her kidnapper's, and he did like Killian. The guy was cool and was his friend not his father…

It still didn't feel right. If felt too fast and the thought of moving away turns these memories into sad ones. He rolls over on the bench and pushes the thoughts from his mind.

He continues to lay his head back on the duffle bag, but his fairytale book makes it hard to feel comfortable. The lack of sleep, the memories of his family, the cold wind, the lack of control in his life and the anxiety he felt over running away made him frustrated and even angry.

Eventually, he removes the book with such frustrated force he could have ripped his zipper. Then he has a sudden urge to throw it away. Something suddenly catches his eye and makes him stop. Something was sticking out from the pages of his book. He'd never noticed it before now since the book had been buried in his closet once he outgrew fairy tales.

He pulls the thing out from the folds of the book. It's a photo. A photo of him on his fifth birthday. He still had the chubby cheeks of youth, small freckles on his face and wore a small party hat with a dinosaur on it. His face is lit up in front of the candles and it is squished between his mom and dad's heads. They too are smiling and laughing, staring at the five lit candles on the cake. Henry swallows hard, it seems like the photo suddenly comes alive and he watches as the five-year-old boy makes a wish and blows out the candles. His parents would then kiss his cheeks and cut him a big slice of cake. He can't remember what he wished for that year, maybe a bike or a new toy, but this was the year that he received this very book. He was sure that his mother gave it to him, but he couldn't be certain. Maybe it was Mary Margret, or had they not met them yet? He remembers vowing to read every story in there and made his parents do so every night, even when they were tired. And once they'd finished the book, he'd pick his favourites to read again. He remembers cuddling between his parents on their bed as they read each magical tale to him; his imagination growing and his dreams becoming lively and exciting. They'd point to the pictures and explain what was happening. They never got angry if he asked questions about it or wanted to read it again. Eventually, it got to the point where Henry had memorized all the stories and read them to his parents instead. He'd re-enact the best moments from each tale with friends and his parents, he'd build pillow forts as his castles and even went trick-or-treating as some of his beloved characters. He was Captain Hook one year, a Dragon the next, and he thinks a king another.

Sadly, as time went on, the boy's interests changed and the alienation from classmates told him to move on from the "silly" world of fairy tales. He cannot remember the last time he'd read the book, but somehow, it ended up in his closet, along with other forgotten childhood memories. He wanted to forget about the phase in his life and move on.

Obviously, his mom wanted to preserve a few moments of this phase by hiding the pictures in here. He turns the photo over and notices some writing on it.

It reads,

 _Henry's Fifth Birthday, my big boy growing up._

Unbeknownst to him, tears had found their way to edge of his eyes.

He found three more photos tucked into the pages. He examines all of them.

The first photograph is of him reading from his book aloud, to whom he didn't know but on the back, it said:

 _Our Little Storyteller._

The second one was of him dressed up as Captain Hook, his favourite villain of all, a huge smile on his face and he's waving his hook and candy bag at the camera. He had the entire outfit, including the feather hat and black boots, it was a great costume and he wasn't sure if his mom kept it or gave it away. On the back of this photo it says:

 _A Pirate's Life for Me_

The last one was from when he was born. He's wrapped in a little blue blanket and a small white hat. His tiny eyes seem to be squinting at the flash of the camera and one of his chubby fists is raised in the air.

On the back of this one it reads:

 _Henry, my little miracle forever._

The teen wipes away his tears and slips the photos back into the book and the book back into his bag. He swallows the sadness and stands up. He steps out of the bus shelter for a few moments, pondering what he'd just seen and what he was going to do next.

…

Ruby rushes to work, having to open the diner early, at six o'clock in the morning. It was her punishment from her grandmother for skipping work to go clubbing with Dorothy. The two were still going strong, texting and meeting whenever they could. The red-haired woman had fallen hard for the country girl, very hard. She hadn't felt like this before, it was much deeper than her flings with the opposite sex. Ruby had always questioned which she liked more, but by now, the answer was clear.

The waitress's head was filled with worried thoughts for Emma. Henry had run off and everyone was searching the streets for him. She, unfortunately, could not get out of work, despite begging her grandmother to let her do so. Granny would take her searching shift for the missing teen, while she ran the business, at least for a few hours.

She fumbles with her keys and then she notices the lights are on. Confused, she unlocks the door and she smells fresh chocolate. She sees the hot chocolate machine is on. She scans the restaurant, thinking there might be an intruder or there was a break in, but the door was locked and what thief would make hot chocolate for themselves. The cash machine was untouched too.

She catches a glimpse of a clump of brown hair in one of the booths. She recognizes the coat colour as she gets closer and closer to the figure.

The dyed haired woman nearly faints when she sees who's there.

"H-Henry?!" she screeches.

"Hi, Ruby." He says, he sits with his duffle bag next to him and a large mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon on top in front of him.

"How…what… where… your mom is worried sick about you!" She has tears in her eyes and her heart is hitting overdrive with excitement and confusion.

"Really?"

"F*** Yeah! She has the entire police department and half the city out looking for you. Why the hell did you run away? How did you get in here?"

"You forgot to lock the back door," he points to back room. He'd walked to _Granny's_ and had assumed that if Ruby was careless as she always was, she'd forget to do something. He decided to find someplace to warm up before heading back home. He knew how to make a cup of hot chocolate and was sitting down to rest.

"Damn it," she hisses to herself before pulling out her phone.

"Just don't tell my mom to be too mad at me," the teen winces as the red-haired waitress dials her best friend's number.

"I doubt she'll be mad right now,"

"Hello?" a tired and worried voice answers.

"Emma, it's Ruby, you'll never guess who I found."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Why'd you do it, Henry?" Ruby asks, sitting across from the teen in the booth.

"I'm not really sure," he shrugs. "Can I get back to you on that?"

"For me, sure, but you'll have to answer that for your mother and probably Regina and Mary Margret too."

"I wonder how many weeks I'll be grounded."

"Probably a lot," Ruby smirks and Henry kicks her under the table. "Ow! What? It's the truth. I can't imagine your mother will ever let you out of the house again, after what happened to her. I cannot tell you how many months I was grounded for running away and putting the whole neighbourhood into a frenzy?"

"You ran away?!" the teen says in surprise.

"Do you even know me? I ran away six times when I was in my teens."

"Why?"

"Because I hated my life."

"Why? Granny…"

"Granny wasn't the problem," Ruby sighs, moving a scarlet lock of hair from her face. "It was my mom, dad, and brother."

"What happened?"

The waitress swallows a large lump in her throat and shifts uncomfortably. She blinks back tears

"It's not something I like to talk about but… Let's just say that Dad was a wreck loose and an alcoholic. And one night while I was at a sleepover, he was picking my mom up from yoga and my brother from baseball, and… he was tremendously shitfaced …"

"Oh…" Henry says, giving her a very sympathetic look.

Ruby lets a few tears fall, ignoring what it would do to her makeup.

"Both of them died on impact, but that bastard lived…" she clenches her hands into fists and whacks one of them on the table. "He lived and I was supposed to live with him. But Grandma fought tooth and nail to have me live with her. She even sold her house to pay for the lawyers. She knew what kind of man he'd become and she didn't want me anywhere near him. It was constant back and forth. I'd move into Grandma's place and then three days later, my dad would force me to pack a bag and come back "home." To a crappy apartment that he could barely afford and there was no food or heating. Even when Grandma won custody of me, my dad was constantly harassing her and me. I just got fed up and thought I'd do better on my own."

"So, what brought you back?"

"I guess part of me knew that Grandma loved me and it would break her heart to leave. She was the only person who was ever there for me after my mom and brother died. She gave me a true place to call home and gave me the love and protection I needed and deserved. And, the other part was, I knew I couldn't make it on my own. The world is a very scary place… how your mom and Neal did it I'll never know, but every time I went to the bus stop or stood on the side of the road with my thumb out, I found myself hesitating. Yes, life was hard, but it would be even harder on my own. I knew I was leaving someone who truly loved me behind. I knew she was the only family I had left and I was about to lose her too."

Henry looks down at his empty mug, a fair representation of how his life would be right about now if he'd gone through with the decision. His father's words from last night about not losing the family you have and what a true home really was made sense to him now. He'd been so caught up in the anger of moving, he forgot what he'd be leaving behind and that a home is where a family is, nothing more, nothing less. He thinks about all the people who he would leave behind, all those who were there for him when the world wasn't. Regina, Mary Margret, David, Jacob, Ruby, Lacey, Aurora, Violet, Elsa, Anna, Killian, his dad, his mom, and his unborn baby sister. People who cared about him and wanted the best for him. Those who gave him purpose and the love he deserved. He hadn't thought about what his actions would do to them, he'd only been thinking about himself. He remembers how he felt when his mother was missing and he can only imagine what she must be feeling now. He wipes away a few tears in embarrassment.

"It's okay Henry," Ruby says, reaching over, and patting his arm. "We all think that life becomes so unbearable that we'd rather be anywhere else, but the truth is, we need to be here because, without it, we're nothing but a shadow on the wall or that lonely hitchhiker on the side of the road, no direction and no purpose."

The teen is silent for awhile, thinking about how selfish he'd been. He starts rehearsing what he's going to say to his mom when she comes, how he's going to say sorry.

"So how did your grandma stop your dad from harassing you?"

"She took out her old crossbow, something that belonged to my grandpa and confronted him on the street. She told him that if he ever came within five feet of me or the house or the restaurant, she wouldn't hesitate to shoot him through the heart."

"Wow!" the teen's eyes are impressed. He'd never guess that an elderly lady like Granny, could be so intimidating and badass.

"She moved the two of us here into the city where he was less likely to look for me and she opened up this place. And we haven't seen him since."

"Do you want to know what happened to him?"

Ruby frowns and shakes her head. "Not really. I want him to be getting the help he needs, but it's more likely he's either homeless or in prison."

"I guess you don't miss him."

"No, he'll always be my dad, but Grandma's been more of a mother and father to me than anyone else in the world."

"Then why are you so desperate to move away."

"You would want to too if you were 26 and still living with your grandmother."

"I guess,"

A yellow bug screeches to a halt in front of the restaurant. Henry sucks in a breath and stands up from the booth, ready to face the music. He hears the car doors slam and frantic footsteps before the bell over the door rings.

"Oh my god Henry!" a pregnant blonde woman says, racing across the tile floor to her son. Her dark-haired boyfriend follows closely behind her. She pulls him into her arms and squeezes him tightly. Tears are flowing down her face as the pain within her body disperses. The agony she felt at the thought of losing her son was slowly dissipating as she clung to him. Henry cannot breathe from the tightness of her hug, but he tolerates it, knowing what she must've gone through.

Eventually, she releases him and stares deep into his eyes.

"I'm sorry Mom," he says earnestly.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" she nearly yells. "You have no idea how worried I was. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"I wasn't Mom, that's the thing. I was being stupid and thought it would be better to just to leave because you wanted to move. I wasn't thinking about you or anyone else, just me and I'm really sorry."

"I-I just can't believe… t-that you would think that it would be a g-good idea! Why? Why would you do this?!"

"I don't know. I guess I was just angry and scared and thought that I was better off on my own."

"You're never better off on our own. You're better off with those who love you."

"I know that now," he says, swallowing the large lump of guilt in his throat.

"I just wish you had come to talk to me…"

"But you're not around when I need you," he points out.

Emma blinks away a few of her tears and nods. "I know and I'm sorry. I should be there for you more, but I want you to be able to come to me Henry whenever you have a problem. What happened to me was not your fault or mine, but we need to tell each other how we feel. I'll admit we both have our problems, I just don't want you to end up like me, alone with those walls. I want you to feel love…"

"I do Mom, I feel it right now."

The two hug again. Killian and Ruby watch with smiles on their faces. Eventually, the docks man joins the group hug.

"From now on, come to me with your problems and I promise that I will talk to you about mine and include you in all our decisions."

"Okay, mom."

"We're glad you're okay Lad," Killian says, ruffling the teen's hair affectionately.

"Thanks, Killian." The kid smiles, happy that his mom's boyfriend actually cared about him.

Soon the restaurant is crowded with Henry's loved ones. Regina looks like she wants to smack him upside the head and hug him at the same time. Mary Margret and David hold the boy they thought of as their own son or nephew close and shower him with love. Everyone else hugs him and asks if he's okay. Even his father is there and he hugs his son for an extended period of time.

"I'm sorry about what I said," Neal says quietly. "I just thought tough love was the way to make you see reason. Add this to the list of reasons I'm not a great parent."

"You do fine dad,"

'You can come live with me if you want to."

"If it's okay with you dad, I want to continue living with Mom, Killian and my baby sister."

"Of course, it's okay."

Everyone then sits down to have a calm meal as a family.

As they eat, Emma looks in his duffle bag after her son goes to the bathroom and she sees his storybook amongst his clothes. She picks it up and the handful of pictures fall onto her lap. She picks them up and smiles before wiping away the last of her tears.

…

Henry was grounded for two weeks after what he'd done, but he was fine with it, happy to be home and he now knew that this was his mother's way of showing that she loved him.

The three of them went to an open house to see the home that Regina had suggested. Henry was very skeptical and still angry, sad even. He still hated the idea of moving, but his mind slowly shifted once he saw how big the place was and how much room there was for everyone, by the end, he'd already picked out his room, with the promise of having his own TV and game system hooked up.

There was still much to be done in order to close a deal on the house and actually pack, but it looked like the growing family would be moving very soon.

…

The following week;

"Hello Henry, it's nice to meet you, I'm Dr. Hopper."

 _Some Ruby backstory and things are hopefully looking up... for now._


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Any luck David?" Nova asks, coming into his office.

The lieutenant sits at his desk, pouring over papers of Emma's abductor. He'd spent weeks going over everything now, wanting to get this guy off the streets as soon as possible and give Emma the justice she deserved after the hell that she endured.

 _Arthur Julius Damian King_

 _Age: 43_

 _DOB: June 6_ _th_ _, 1966_

 _Residence: Boston, Massachusetts_

 _Spouse: Gwendolyn Juniper Wilson_

 _Children: 2_

 _Eyes: Brown_

 _Hair: Black_

 _Ethnicity: Caucasian_

 _Occupation: N/A_

 _Previous Offenses: Domestic Violence_

 _Wanted for: Abduction, Abduction of Child(s), Attempted Murder, Sexual Assault, Battery, Assault, Fraud, Robbery, Trespassing, Arson, Possession of Illegal Weaponry._

 _Missing since: January 26_ _th_ _, 2017_

 _Considered armed and dangerous, do not attempt to engage._

"No, the guy is still MIA," he sighs. He wishes beyond all belief that this monster was behind bars so he couldn't hurt another person and basically destroy people's lives, including his own. He kicks himself for not acting quicker to catch this man. And after the scare with Henry running away, he felt even more overwhelmed than before.

"Don't beat yourself up too hard, it wasn't your fault he got away."

"But it was," he mutters. "I was so caught up in being with Emma again that I let precious time go by that I could've used to get this guy. I should've had all the nearby interstates being monitored and the entire town searched and all the state borders on high alert."

Nova puts a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "You were happy to see your friend alive and after working so hard, you deserved the chance to see her again. The sheriff of the town just wasn't quick enough. The slimy bastard is very good getting away, he's done it before."

"And he needs to be stopped. I'm worried that he might try to do this with another woman. Emma was lucky, the baby wasn't his but who's to say the next woman will be as fortunate? What if he comes back for Emma? What about the baby? What about the man's family?" Gwendolyn and her two children were in protective custody and had moved in with relatives for the time being, but that still did not guarantee their safety. "Can they be considered safe anymore?"

"Whoa Dave, take a breath," his co-officer says. "I know you want to find this guy, but you need to take it one step at a time. We will find this guy and he will pay for what he did."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because we've put enough of these bastards behind bars to know they cannot escape justice, especially when their witness is alive…" Nova trails off, knowing she's just implied something even worse. She bites her lip and swallows. David puts his head in his hands. "Besides, Emma is tough, she can fend for herself."

"Not while she's pregnant," he protests.

"Killian Jones can protect her then and you're always around too. Besides, didn't you say she was moving?"

"It still doesn't make me feel better," he mutters.

"We'll make sure someone patrols the neighbourhood every so often. We should also try to keep the story alive so he'll be caught faster. We might want to send a segment to _America's Most Wanted_. They can help."

David stares down at Arthur King's mugshot from his domestic violence case. His dark eyes seem to be soulless, they were the eyes of pure evil and the look on his face could only be described as hungry and depraved. He looks at the medical records of Emma's injuries and then her witness statement that was taken about a day after she was brought home to Boston. The lengthy document described in detail what sort of horrors she endured and what kind of man had been holding her hostage. He'd beaten her, nearly strangled her multiple times, drugged, and raped her many times, chained her to a bed, treated her like a prisoner, threatened her at every turn and basically kept her as his sex slave and "baby maker." He swallows the bile in his throat and remembers how emotionally distraught Emma was during this interview. He ended up holding her and helping her finish the statement so that she could go home. He saw the sadness and felt the fear in her voice. Emma had always been tough, he knew that from the moment he'd met her and to see her a shaking, quivering mess angered him and drove him to find this monster.

One the second page of a police report was an artist's rendering of what Arthur King looked like now. The sketch artist had still managed to capture the darkness in the bastard's eyes, unmoving and relentless they could be. What made this case harder was that this man could disguise himself easily, he likely knew how the law worked and he had slipped out of their radar again. The police officer wanted this man caught and put behind bars before he, himself got his hands on the monster and taught him a lesson. Killian would no doubt want to join David on this purge for justice.

"We'll keep a tip line open and follow up on any leads. He will be found…" She says before exiting the room.

David grimaces and looks over at the photos on his desk. The first was of him, his wife and son and the second was of Emma and Henry. Two people, whom he saw as family and may as well be. He had to find this man, for Emma's sake, for Henry's, Killian's and the new baby's.

His phone buzzes in his pocket and a text from his wife pops up.

 ** _Decided to have E, H, K, and baby over for dinner, you okay with that?_**

He smiles, knowing that his wife will always want to be the hostess and make her friends and family feel safe and loved.

 _Sure_

He figures this might be a good way to talk to Emma about the protection of the family's future.

 _Sorry if this chapter is shorter. I know it's unlikely that Arthur would be 43 if he was born in 1966, but did anyone catch what I might be implying with his birthdate and middle name? Thank you for the continued support. Please read and review._


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Jacob watches from his high chair as his mother wanders around the kitchen, busy cooking dinner for their guests. The infant sucks on a toy shaped like a bird as his blue eyes follow her as she cooks a delicious roast. Eventually, he throws the toy on the ground. When Mary Margret takes no notice, he begins to squeal in frustration and tears form in his eyes. When she does look at him, she groans and picks up the toy for him. Once it's in his mouth again, the tiny tot settles down.

"I wish you'd play that game after I'm done in the kitchen," she mutters, tending the potatoes boiling on the stove. Her son was starting to become mischievous, much like his father, and had the intent to keep her attention as long as possible.

David comes through the door, just as it starts to snow again.

"Brrr, it's freezing outside," he says, stamping the snow off his boots. Mary Margret picks up Jacob and goes to greet her husband.

She kisses his lips and he cups his hand on her cheek.

"Hi honey," she says with a warm smile. Her heart always soared when he held her like that.

"Hi, and how was your day?"

"I spent it cleaning and keeping this one happy. He's in some kind of mood today, wanting my attention constantly. Can you keep him occupied while I finish dinner for our guests?"

"Sure, come here big guy," the cop says, taking his son from his wife. He notices his son has on a little, red velvet vest and a tiny white shirt. All he seemed to be missing was a little bowtie. "You dressed him up?"

"Just a little bit, I want him to wear something else besides those onesies. Anyways, everyone bought us all those baby clothes and before too long he won't be able to wear them."

This was true as young Jacob Nolan had gained significant weight in the past few months, making the outfits his mother received a tight fit.

"You're growing like a weed," his father says, lifting his son up and kissing his face. The tot gurgles happily and grabs at his daddy's rough shaven face.

"Did you pick up something non-alcoholic to drink?" his wife asks from the kitchen.

The lieutenant takes his son into the room, with a paper bag containing a sort of sparkling drink. "Yeah, it's kind of like apple cider. I think that will be okay."

"I'm sure it will," she smiles warmly at him. She checks the cherry pie she has in the oven before draining the potatoes in the sink. She looks out the window at the snowfall. "I just hope they can make it in this weather."

"The radio said it will only get worse as the night goes on."

"That's not reassuring."

Then the doorbell rings. David goes to answer it.

A pregnant blonde, her blue-eyed boyfriend, and tall teenage son stand at the door. He beams happily at them.

"Hi, I'm glad you got here safely."

"The roads are a nightmare," Killian says. "I swear the harbour might freeze over soon."

"Please let school be canceled, please let school be canceled," Henry mutters under his breath.

David embraces Emma and kisses the top of her head. His stomach still turns a little bit every time he sees her. He thinks it might be the guilt he felt over the whole incident, him not being able to find and save her. Also, that he'd still not been able to find her abductor.

"How are you?" he asks.

"Fine, but the baby's kicking a lot." She then takes David's hand places it on her stomach. His heart skips a beat when he feels the small life inside of her. He felt the very same way back when Mary Margret was pregnant; the amazement and joy of feeling the tiny being inside of her. He remembers talking to it a laying his head on his wife's stomach to tell their unborn child stories or just to hear the little feet beating against its mother. He doubted Emma had been doing such things, but maybe she should.

"We brought brownies for dessert, I know Mary Margret is baking a pie, but I've been craving chocolate lately."

"That's fine," he nods.

Killian helps Emma remove her coat before the five of them move to the kitchen. The teacher turns and immediately greets all three of them with hugs and questions about their well-being and the baby.

"Hey Henry," David says.

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind keeping Jacob happy for a few minutes, I have to set the table."

"Sure," the teen says. He takes his godson into his arms and goes to sit in the living room. He places Jacob up against some pillows and gets out his phone. Violet has been texting him non-stop. As his grounding was slowly ending, he looked forward to taking her out again. A pang of guilt resurfaced inside of him. If he had gotten on that bus, he wouldn't have been able to see her again or have little gatherings like this one. He wipes away a tear, knowing how stupid he'd been. He had had the chance to talk to Dr. Hopper about his feelings and why he wanted to run away. It was awkward at first, but the psychiatrist seemed to be very understanding and sympathetic to his plight and drive to run.

Jacob makes a little noise, causing the teen to look at him. Once he has his attention, the tot smiles and gurgles happily. Somehow, the three-month-old could sense that Henry was sad and needed some cheering up. Henry returns the gesture and picks up the baby again. He finds a little toy, a stuffed sheep that made a noise and shakes it. Tiny hands reach out in delight and curiosity as the teenager makes funny noises and speaks to him through the animal to amuse Jacob.

"Baaa," he says. "How much wool can one sheep have?"

Little do either of them know, Emma is watching them. She smiles and instinctively puts her hand on her stomach. She knew that Henry was going to be a great big brother, despite all the roadblocks that seemed to befall them.

"Dinner's ready," Mary Margret calls, having everyone gather at the table. Henry's ears turn red when he realizes that his mother was watching him.

Once everyone is seated, the teacher asks them to join hands as she leads them in grace.

"Since when did you become religious?" Emma asks in confusion.

"Ever since you disappeared, every night I prayed for your safe return," her best friend answers. They all bow their heads.

"Dear Lord, please bless this food in the nourishment of our bodies and thank you for the amazing life you blessed us. May we continue to honour and learn in your ways, Amen."

"Amen," everyone else says.

The dinner is a fun affair, filled with different conversations, laughter, and delicious food. There was a level of normalcy in the room, something that gave Emma much comfort and was on the verge of tears. She cannot believe that she is home and safe with those she loves. A few months ago, this type of scene would have merely been a fantasy brought on by the drugs or the many tortured dreams of longing to be anywhere else. She hoped that the new home that she and Killian would be purchasing would be just like this and be filled with new happy memories.

The cold winds pounding against the windows and the snow falling into the darkness reminds her of the cabin, still making her feel isolated and helpless from all those empty nights in that prison. But the warmth of the people around her made her feel safer for the first time in a long time.

…

After dinner, Henry and David play a few video games while Emma and Killian watch as Mary Margret gets Jacob ready for bed. They knew that they'd have to learn all this for their new arrival and practice. The teacher even tries to get Killian to diaper the baby but ends up getting peed on. The two women laugh and Emma finds one of David's old shirts for the docks man to wear.

Just as the mother is placing her son in bed, the lights flicker a few times and go out completely. The harsh winds seem to rattle the entire foundation of the house. David stumbles around in the darkness to find his wife and son. He manages to find a few flashlights while his wife finds some candles.

"The storm must've knocked out all the power," he says, as he digs to find blankets and other necessities.

Emma looks outside to see her yellow bug almost completely buried in the snow. "I guess we won't be going anywhere tonight."

The entire group gathers in the living room and Killian and David build up a fire. Mary Margret cradles her son and Emma sits on the couch next to Henry.

"What do we do now?" Henry asks. He sounded a little bored already, his phone was dying and he had no way of communicating with anyone. "We can't do anything without lights or WI-FI."

"That's not true," Mary Margret says. "People spent thousands of years without electricity Henry and they managed to stay amused."

"We could tell ghost stories," David suggests.

"We're not at camp," Emma smirks.

"How about a game of cards?" Killian suggests. "On the docks, many sailors had to find ways to pass the time out in the Atlantic and I've learned a few of them."

"As long as it's not _Go Fish_ , I'm fine," the teen shrugs.

Killian teaches the group that Liam used to play while in the Navy. He called it _Liam's Luck_ and although they weren't betting money or cigarettes pretty soon, the entire group, sans the baby was playing by candlelight.

"I win again!" Henry practically shouts.

"SHHH!" Mary Margret hisses as Jacob was now fast asleep in her arms.

"Sorry," he says.

"You did well Lad, but I think it was beginner's luck."

"No way, I won fair and square, you're just a sore loser," the teen teases.

"Don't make me separate you two," Emma warns cheekily.

After a few more card games, David helps make the living room into a bedroom for the group. He pulls out two sleeping bags and plenty of pillows for everyone. Mary Margret bundles her son up and lets him sleep in his baby chair. The couple decides to let Emma have the couch as it was the most comfortable while the rest of them slept on the floor.

Henry is the next one to fall asleep, curling up in a sleeping bag and Mary Margret soon follows, knowing she'll have to wake up soon to feed her son again. Killian cuddles with Emma for a long time. The two sit and watch as the teen falls asleep by the fireplace.

They couldn't believe how scared they both were when he'd run off. Emma was beside herself in fear and Killian was very concerned. Despite not being his father and for the obvious dislike of him at first, the docks man had grown on Henry. Killian felt like Henry was his son now and just as much of his responsibility as Emma's. He felt a great kinship with the boy and hoped that he'd soon adjust to the new life that their little "family" was starting. Clearly, the teen still had some feelings to work out, but the dark-haired man hoped for the best. Emma keeps her head against her boyfriend's shoulder, her heart heavy in her chest. The sheer amount of terror she felt when her son had disappeared was still haunting her. The emptiness she felt and the flashbacks to her own childhood, being alone on the streets, with no one to care for her. She never wanted that for her son and she was relieved that he figured out on his own that what he had was too important to let go of.

She was still concerned for his well-being. She knows she's going to try and spend more time with him, at Dr. Hopper's suggestion, but also prepare herself for the changes to come. The couple had placed a bid on the house and she felt like she was jumping off a cliff into the ocean; the anxiety and anticipation filled her body entirely. She'd never taken such a big step before, literally leaving her old life behind and she wasn't sure if it was because she was afraid or that it felt normal. For a long time, she'd accepted that her life would always be anything but that. The instability of her life had kept those walls around her heart and the fear of the unknown at bay. She didn't feel quite ready to move in with someone new and prepare for a baby. It felt so surreal and so scary.

Still, the strong arm around her gave her that security and confidence that she could do this, make these changes in her life and start all over again.

"I love you," she whispers quietly.

"I love you too." He murmurs, kissing the side of her head.

Soon, Killian finds himself yawning and stretching out.

"I think it's time I turn in too, Swan," he says. He finds a pillow and quilt, positioning himself on the floor next to the couch. "I'm right here if you need me," he says.

Emma smiles and gives her boyfriend a long kiss on the lips before he settles down to sleep.

Then it's just her and David. The lieutenant knows this is a good a time as any to talk to her about the future. He piles another log on the fire and pokes at it before going to sit next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

Emma looks at him. "All right,"

"How are the sessions going?"

"Good, the doctor says I'm making some good progress. It seems like I still have a lot of fear I need to work through. He describes it like a ball of yarn and we're going to untangle it, one strand at a time."

"And the house?"

"We put an offer in. It's a lot and I'm probably going to have to go back to work if I want to send Henry to college, but I think it will work. Regina says no one has bid on the house in a long time."

"Glad to hear it." The cop swallows and stares at Emma in the flickering firelight. He saw the fear in her eyes, the trauma of what she endured. "And what about security?"

"What do you mean?"

David swallows. "I want you to know Emma, I'm spending all my free time at work trying to find **_him_**."

Neither needed clarification to what he meant.

"We're doing all we can to put this guy behind bars, but I can't protect you all the time. I know witness protection or victim protection can guarantee anything, but I still worry about you."

Emma looks at her friend and father figure. She could see the pain in his blue eyes, the stress he felt that he'd failed her.

"You won't have to protect me all the time David. I have Killian now."

"But even he's not Superman."

She swallows. "I know."

"I just want you and this… family to be safe." With her permission, he puts his hand on her abdomen. The baby seems to be quiet at the moment, but Emma could feel her daughter moving inside.

"And we will be," she says quietly, sounding surer that she felt.

"I think you should hire a bodyguard or something."

The two smirk at the idea and how stupid it sounded.

"But seriously, a top rank security system and I'm thinking of assigning a police officer to patrol the neighbourhood."

Emma wipes away a few tears. Despite not being a captive anymore, she still felt trapped. As long as this man was still out there and roaming the streets, she nor her family or friends were safe. Her mind flashes back to the stalking experience a few weeks ago and how scared and helpless she felt.

"I can carry my gun everywhere for safekeeping," she says.

"I'll see what else I can do," David says.

"Don't neglect your job just for me David," Emma says, locking eyes with him.

"Emma, you are my family. I will do whatever it takes to protect you. I won't fail you again… I promise."

She grabs his hand and then lightly kisses his cheek as a sign of gratitude. She had never felt more loved in her life. She wished beyond all measure that David had been her father growing up. He could have made her feel safe and maybe these trust issues wouldn't exist. She'd be more secure and confident in herself and not feel like the world was always against her.

"Thank you," she whispers.

The two sit in silence for awhile, watching the fire flicker and listening to the wind howling outside.

Eventually, they both find blankets and get ready to sleep. Emma puts a hand back on her bump and rubs it a few times. She may have never had a loving family growing up, but her baby girl certainly would.

 _A/N: Some nice family fluff, but also reassurance for the_ future _. Sorry if these chapters seem tedious, it will get much more interesting because they are not done with Arthur... not yet._


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"I really think we should actually own the house before we go shopping for baby things," Emma sighs.

"Emma, this stuff takes much longer than you think. You need to plan ahead."

Mary Margret had dragged her baby son, Emma, Regina, Elsa, Lacey, and Ruby along for a "baby" shopping trip. The snowstorm finally ended after a few days and the streets were finally clear enough for life to resume as normal. This gave the teacher the idea to take the expectant mother on a shopping trip to look for baby supplies.

"Why can't I just get Henry's baby stuff out of storage? It'll definitely save the cost a little bit," she says as the group walks into the third baby store that they'd been dragged to.

"Because half of that stuff you gave to me and the other half is outdated."

"It's a kid Mary Margret, not a car. Besides, she won't care if her rattle isn't the latest model. She won't even know what a rattle is," Regina huffs.

"Why does everything have to be so high-tech now?" Elsa adds, looking at a light-up teddy bear. "We all grew up with the simplest of things and we're all okay. I still have my old stuffed bear that was dressed like a snowman."

"I'm not saying it has to be 'fancy,' but you need functional pieces," the new mother of the group says, pushing her infant son down one of the first aisles.

Emma follows begrudgingly. She looks at the shelves and shelves of stuffed toys, all seemed to stare back at her, mocking her it felt like. Also, all the playthings either lit up, talked to the baby, moved, vibrated, or could even be hooked up to a phone. Her childhood was so much simpler… then again, she didn't have much of a childhood as she was passed around in the foster system so much. She vaguely remembers she was given simple toys to play with, ones that weren't so fancy and expensive. The only thing she ever kept from her youth was her baby blanket, one with her name knitted on the front. She'd been found in the blanket and it was the only connection she had to her birth parents.

There are cribs at the back of the store. Most of them are carved into elaborate shapes, have frilly looking bedding, and elaborate looking mobiles overhanging each of them.

"Do you have any idea of what kind of theme you want to go with?" Mary Margret asks.

"No. Killian and I haven't even touched on stuff like that. There are more important things right now, like making sure the bid for our house goes through."

"Well, your chances of getting the house are pretty good," Regina says. "I haven't had any other offers, except yours. So, I say the odds are definitely in your favour."

"At least it's an offer we can afford," Emma mutters as she heaves her baby bump upwards. She looks at a crib that is white and has tiny unicorn mobile hanging above it. The creatures look like they're made of glass, but when she feels them, they are plastic. The piece seems to glow in the light and when she touches the object, it makes a soft melodious tune.

Mary Margret was looking at cribs with Disney Princess themed bedding or mobiles with fairies, but none of them are to Emma's taste.

She likes the white crib that she has her hand on. It's simple, sturdy and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. She looks at the hanging fixtures until she finds one with starfish, seahorses, and dolphins. They look like they are made of crystal (although it really was plastic) and shone different colours. It looked very pretty and reminds Emma about Killian's love of the sea. Since they might be moving closer to the harbour again, she thought he'd like to capture it in their daughter's room.

"At least you know it's a girl," Ruby says, going through the clothing section. She was eyeing all the cute little dresses and accessories this new baby could wear. She picks up a tiny hair bow that was bedazzled in rhinestones. "Isn't this cute?"

"What's the point of buying things like that if the baby is going to grow right out of it?" Regina questions. She was examining the storybook aisle, taking any volumes that peaked her interest off the shelves. Much like Emma, none of them were to her taste; she preferred classics like _The Velveteen Rabbit_ or _Goodnight Moon_ , none of the tv show books that now lined the shelves. How would babies understand this anyways?

"Because it's cute," Lacey answers, picking up a stuffed bear that could glow in the dark. "It's better to enjoy the moments while they last."

That remark makes Regina a little upset. This whole trip was depressing her just a little bit, still so much a reminder of the life she might never have. Her relationship with Robin was doing well and Roland had also taken a liking to her, but Roland was five and out of the various stages that the real-estate agent longed to go through.

"Oh, you certainly know how to seize the moment and the attention," a voice says behind them.

All turn to see a lawyer in a tight skirt, black pantyhose and a green top that seemed to be cut too low. Unbeknownst to the women as they had been browsing the store, they were being watched by another. One with fiery red hair and wore lethal looking heels. Her eyes narrow and her teeth grind together.

Many of them roll their eyes at the approach of Zelena.

"What do you want Zelena?" Regina huffs.

"I was in the neighbourhood and I happened to see both Mary Margret and Emma's oversized bodies and decided to investigate. Should have known you'd be looking for clothes to hide those horrendous figures."

Emma grinds her teeth together but says nothing. She holds the new mother's hand and shakes her head, convincing her that they don't need to get involved.

"How rude can you be?" Ruby snaps. "You miss your morning massage this morning?"

"For your information, I was in court, saving a local wildlife reserve from being torn down and granting them a million dollars to expand the land. What have you done besides bend over so men can see your thong?"

"Please don't talk like that Zelena," Mary Margret begs. "There are children around."

"Whatever pudgy, why are you even shopping? I thought you already popped out your mistake."

Mary Margret's face flushes red, but Emma keeps a grip on her arm.

"Oh right, Hi Emma, glad you're okay, how are you coping with your mistake?"

Regina steps to face her sister, very much prepared to punch her lights out. "Take a hike in those heels. Why are you even following us? Did you feel left you because everyone hates you?" She mocks her half-sister more by making a pouty face. "The few things you got from mom was her poor attitude, the inability to care about other people's feelings and the fact that no one ever wants you around."

"I don't even know why you're here Regina. It's not like you're never going to need this stuff."

The brunette sister flushes a shade of dark red and clenches her hands into fists. She bites her tongue and takes a step back, fighting off the tears. An image of that night in the car flashes through her mind, the sight of Daniel going through the windshield causes her to shudder.

"Get lost Zelena, no one wants you here."

"It's a public place, I can be here if I want to."

"And why would you want to be in a baby store, you're so thin, you can't ever get pregnant anyway," Ruby adds.

That causes the red-head to step back in fury.

"At least my chances of getting pregnant are better than yours…" Zelena then goes on to insult Ruby's sexuality.

Ruby is infuriated and tries to march over to punch her out, but Lacey and Elsa hold her back.

"You little…" the waitress says through gritted teeth.

"Let's go, everyone," Emma says. "There's nothing in this store that is worth it now that she's contaminated everything."

The words fall easily off the pregnant woman's tongue and the original group of women compose themselves and exit the store without another word to the acid-tongued lawyer.

Zelena is left seething with so much anger, that she might burst. She ends up punching the nearest shelf, causing a toy to squeak in protest. Her heels then punish the floor as she too exits the store. She watches the group go towards the mall and likely the food court. The red-head wants to make them suffer, especially her half-sister. Regina always got everything and that needed to change. An idea began forming in her head. She smiles with glee.

…

"Sorry that she ruined our shopping trip," Regina apologizes as the five of them and the baby sit in the food court, eating lunch. "I always knew she got the worst parts of my mom."

"It's fine," Emma shrugs, sipping her berry blast smoothie. "At least we got the last word in."

"You shouldn't have to apologize for being related to her..." Lacey adds, sipping her bubble tea.

"I want to ruin her face so badly," Ruby hisses, poking at her Kung-pau chicken.

"We all do, but violence is never the answer," Elsa says soothingly.

"It is if they are an obnoxious bitch."

"Let's try to forget about it now."

Regina's phone buzzes in her pocket. She assumes it's a work text. She scrolls through the messages and her jaw drops. She blinks a few times to make sure she's not imagining things and even refreshes the screen.

"Oh my God…"

"What is it, Regina?" Emma asks.

The real-estate agent shows her potential client the message. Someone just placed a very large bid on the house the small family was steering towards, much larger than Emma and Killian could even afford. It was very generous and made the value go up even more.

"Someone just outbid you for the house…"

"WHO?!"

 _I think we know who... Please read and review_


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Emma gasps, trying to keep her voice low in the crowded food court. The other women in the group were also stunned by the sudden news.

"It's an anonymous bid, I'd need to email to get more information."

"How much higher is it than ours?"

"Substantially, it's over the asking price," she shows Emma the bid. The blonde's jaw dropped at the offer. There was no way that either her or Killian's salaries could even match it.

"Is there any way to turn it down?" Elsa asks.

"It's up to the owners of the property. Often, it's hard to even get the person to agree at a lower price, but this will be an offer they can't refuse."

Emma swallows a large lump in her throat and fights back tears. This was the house she wanted to move into; where she, Killian and Henry would have a fresh start. To leave as much trauma as possible behind and prepare for the new addition to the family. The place would allow her children to grow and thrive as much as possible as well as provide stability and reassurance, something she'd lacked most her life. It was also a place that would mean a lot to Killian, recapturing the happy memories down by the harbour and hopefully open new doors for all of them. Now, it seemed as if the rug had been pulled right out from under her feet and she was falling, further and further into confusion and disappointment. She and Killian hand sunk a large amount of their savings into the bid on the place, with the hope for a brighter future and now it looked like it wasn't going to happen.

Regina can see the sadness in her client's eyes. She could always show the family other houses, but it wouldn't be quite the same. She saw the way Henry's face lit up when he picked which room would be his, she watched Killian stare out the window in awe at the harbour from one of the upstairs windows, and she'd seen the hope in Emma's eyes as she tried to picture a happy life here.

"Don't freak out just yet," she says. "I'm going to find out more about the buyer and maybe can persuade them to purchase something else. Or convince the landowners to take your offer instead."

"You'd do that?" Emma says quietly.

"For you and Henry, anything."

The blonde embraces her friend tightly and then the real-estate agent rushes off to begin her search.

Once she gets back to her apartment, Regina opens her email and briefcase, prepared to get to work. She calls the landowners and does her best to persuade them to consider taking the first offer. It was less, but she made up reasons as for why it would benefit them overall. She discusses that the home would be put to good use for a growing family and they would enjoy many years out of it. Unfortunately, the owner wanted the higher price because they'd make a large profit from the home and could finally move to a condominium in Florida. Despite being disgusted with the man's selfish means, she thanks the person before hanging up. She makes several more phone calls to her company office to see if she can dig up information, but all they can give her is the bid and phone number.

With little confidence, she dials the phone number to try and get in touch with the buyer.

"Hello?" an oddly familiar voice says.

"Hello, my name is Regina Mills. I'm the agent of the house you are looking to purchase."

"Ah yes, and tell me, dear sister, ask Emma how it feels to have her happiness taken away like that?"

…

Regina marches into her half-sister's office without an ounce of calm inside of her. She was overflowing with rage, ready to confront this wicked woman.

The redhead is at her desk, looking through a client's case, trying not to smile as her sister barges in.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Cut the bullshit, Zelena!"

"Why hello to you too sister. How can I help you?" she asks, looking up from her work, trying to hold her laughter in.

"You manipulative bitch!" Regina barks.

"That's hardly a nice thing to say."

"It's a title you deserve!" the brunette says. "What the hell are you doing bidding on Emma's house?!"

"Oh, that house belongs to Emma now? I thought you had to buy a home first before it belonged to you."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Why do you assume that I have some ulterior motive? I thought it might be time that I sell my apartment and move into a nice house; settle down with a husband, have children."

"That's bullshit! You don't have any use for that place. You love your million-dollar apartment too much. And you will never have either of those things because you don't have the heart to love them with! You sleep around too much to ever think about settling down. You're doing this to spite me."

"How could you think such a thing?" the lawyer feigns shock. "How does buying a house spite you?!"

"You're just doing it to get even with Emma and get it all blamed on me because I'm the one who's selling it."

"That's not true. I'm sorry if they can't afford it, probably spending money on keeping Emma out of an asylum, but I can pay for that house, more than any of them can make in a year. It's not the end of the world"

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Regina repeats.

Zelena smiles and stands up from her desk.

"To show her what it's like to have her happiness taken away."

"When have you ever had your happiness taken away?"

"Plenty of times," eyeing her sister.

Regina rolls her own eyes and sighs angrily. "This is getting very old, we were children for God's sake. If you want to blame someone, blame Mom, she's the one who decided to pick favourites. It's not our fault she's a bad mother. Don't take it out on someone who used to call you her friend and who, may I remind you, was held prisoner for four months, is now pregnant and in need of more space."

"My heart bleeds for her and her brat. But you are still the one who had me kicked out of the house."

"For something that you gave to me. We both share blame for that. How much longer are you going to hold this hatred in your heart?"

"As long as it takes to finally get what I want."

"And what do you want?"

"I want you to break up with Robin."

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me, break up with him. You two do not have a future together, after all, you can't carry any of his children."

Regina's hands clench into fists and she fights the urge to throw a punch at her bitch of a sister. She also is fighting tears in her eyes.

"Why should that make a difference?"

"It doesn't, but it makes it so much more fun for me and finally, you won't get what you want."

"I've spent my whole life not getting what I want! I can't have the man that I loved, I can't find stable relationships, I can't have children! I know what it's like to never get what you want."

"It was your decision to drive that night."

Regina opens her mouth to speak, but shuts it again. She sighs heavily. "If I break up with Robin, will you let Emma and Killian have the house?"

"It's a possibility. Better hurry, the seller wants to talk to me about closing the deal at the end of the day."

Regina swallows the lump in her throat and just wants to scream at her sister. She lasers in on the woman whom she now hated with a passion.

"You've crossed a line and it will come back to get you. Maybe not today, but someday you will pay for what you've done."

"I highly doubt that now get out of my office before I call security."

Regina turns and exits the room, being sure to smash a valuable ornament on her way out. She again swallows a lump in her throat before bringing out her phone and dialing Robin's number.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Regina, how are you?" Robin's voice says happily from the other end of the line.

"A-Alright," she says.

"You don't sound like it."

"I…I have a lot on my mind right now. I was wondering if you wanted to get some coffee later today?"

"Uh… I guess so, I do have Roland today though."

"Is that Gina, Daddy?" a small voice says in the background. Regina feels a few tears enter her eyes.

"Yes, it is would you like to say hi?"

Noises are heard and then a very happy voice enters her ear.

"Hi, Gina,"

"Hello Roland, how are you doing?"

"Good, Daddy's showing me how to make paper airplanes today."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," she says, forcing herself to smile. "I'm sure you'll make the best one."

"I call it the Dragon Flier. It's the fastest."

"Sounds like a cool name," she swallows a heavy lump in her throat, knowing she's going to miss this little boy's voice.

"Can I show it to you next time you visit?"

"S-Sure sweetie, next time."

"I gotta go now, bye Gina."

"Bye honey,"

Then his father is back on the line. "He likes spending time with you."

"I like spending time with him."

"So where do you want to meet for coffee and what time?"

"Uh, how about that little place on Stanley Boulevard?"

"The one with the small cream pastries you like?"

"Yeah, today's my cheat day for my diet."

"Regina, you're beautiful the way you are, don't let anyone tell you differently."

She nearly bursts out sobbing at his comment. He was so perfect, he was the best man she'd ever met and now her sister was basically forcing her to break up with him.

"What time?"

"I'll give you an hour to spend with him and get a sitter."

"Actually, Marian's coming to pick him up today."

"Oh."

"But I look forward to spending some time with you."

"Me too."

"Just order me my usual,"

"O-Okay, I got to go, I'll see you in an hour."

"Bye."

Once she hangs up Regina races into an alleyway and breaks down in tears. Her body shakes from the cold and the despair she felt inside of her heart. It feels like every time she actually meets someone she likes, something happens to ruin it. The only reason she can think of that would chase them away would be her inability to conceive and her sometimes prickly attitude. Everything else just felt like the world hated her and wanted her to suffer. It felt like their whole family was suffering. Despite how ruthless Zelena could be, she obviously suffered too, but she'd carried it way too far this time.

The brunette wants to call the police, but it's not a crime to bid on a house. She thinks about calling Emma to explain everything and maybe they could figure a way around the problem.

Just as she's about to call a text message comes through.

 ** _Better hurry,_** it says. **_The owner is eager to seal the deal. Don't even think about telling him what I did because then I will call child services on him for domestic and child abuse, if that doesn't keep him away from you I don't know what will. Tell the blonde slut and I'll speed up the deal. I also have connections in high places so they could get the poor excuse for a family evicted. Tell anyone else, and I'll make sure you get blamed for everything, after all, you're the one who showed her the house and got her hopes up._**

 _If only murder wasn't illegal,_ Regina thought. _We could rid the world of so many scumbags and wicked people who deserve it._

The real-estate agent felt so trapped, it felt as if Zelena had planned the thing from the beginning with Emma wanting to move. She knew this wasn't true, but somehow her half-sister managed to crawl her way into the middle to entrap her in her thick web of anger and deceit.

"Why can't I just be happy?" she wept quietly, leaning against the brick wall of the alleyway. She was never sure if there was God up there, but it felt like he wasn't helping her and letting the world victimize her.

She wipes away her tears and cleans her face up through the reflection of the nearest shop window. Her heart beat in her chest. She could just not listen to her sister, keep Robin, and convince Emma to buy another house. Of course, if that happened, Zelena may make up a huge lie saying that her sister forced her to the buy the house… why? She'd make up some stupid reason. Then Regina would be the bad guy and Emma would likely shut her out of her and Henry's life. She didn't want that. She didn't want to lose her friendship with Emma or her loving relationship with Henry. He was the son she could never have and she loved him dearly. They had been through too much to be ruined by this. She could... live without Robin. After all, she'd lived 32 years without him to this point, but she couldn't live without the people who were her family. She sighs deeply and then walks the few blocks to the coffee shop. She sits down in a booth and waits for him, inside her heart was slowly being crushed.

…

His handsome face appears from behind the glass door of the shop no less than an hour later. Regina nearly bursts into tears right then and there. It takes all the strength within herself to force a smile onto her face and stand up to greet him. His beautiful blue eyes light up when he sees her, his rugged face pulls up into the happiest look every seen. Her heart shatters inside her chest. He kisses her cheek gently before sitting down. She'd just ordered the coffees, but no pastries, she didn't feel hungry anymore as it was filled with guilt, sadness, and anger.

"No pastry?" Robin asks curiously as they sit down in the booth.

"Not hungry," she says.

"Your eyes are really red, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Did someone upset you? Did you get enough sleep?"

"I'm **_fine_** ," she insists harshly. That shuts him up and he takes a sip of his coffee.

They sit in silence for a few moments.

"How's Roland?"

"He's fine, he's bringing lots of artwork home from school. He also made a Valentine for you but seeing that we… you know… had other plans that weekend, I didn't give it to you."

"He's a little prince with such a giving heart." She pauses and swallows. "He's just like his father."

"He does have a way with women, doesn't he?"

 _Just like his father_ , she thinks.

Her hand begins to shake. She hides it under the table so he won't see.

"Are you sure you're okay darling?" he asks, noticing the distress in her face. He had grown to start calling her that, it made her feel special as he always called Marian Honey, but never Darling, it made her feel special.

She opens her mouth to say something when her phone buzzes in her pocket.

 ** _Tick-tock, tick-tock_** is all it says.

"Hmmm?" she asks, looking up.

"I asked if you need some water or something…"

 _I'm so sorry Robin_ , she thinks to herself.

"I'm okay, I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

She swallows the biggest lump she's ever had in her throat and she bites her lip to the point that it might start bleeding.

"I…don't think we should see each other and more…"

The happiness in Robin's face goes to absolute shock and confusion. Regina can't hold the tears any longer.

"Wha…Why? Why Regina? What happened?"

"It's just that… well, you're going through so much right now and you already have a son… I don't want him to…"

"Forget about Roland for now, I'll help him through it. We will. I want to be with your Regina."

"But you're going through so much…" she squeaks.

"And you make it all better," he says, reaching across the table to grab her hand. "You give me hope, you make me smile every morning. You make me see that I don't have to be lonely after my divorce."

Tears are falling down her face like a waterfall, Regina looks away from his despairing eyes and removes her hand from his, gripping both of them into fists under the table.

"There's something else going on, what is it?" he says, suspecting something.

"No, there's nothing, it's just not going to work out."

"Bullshit Regina, tell me the truth, what's wrong? Whatever it is I'll forgive you…"

"It's nothing to forgive…" she whispers. She leaves money on the table and stands up to leave, but Robin grabs her arm tightly. Now, he too has tears in his eyes.

"Regina please…" he begs. "I want you… I need you…"

"I'm sorry Robin…" she says in a whisper. She knows he won't let go unless she really hurts him. "I can't see a future together that's all. I thought I had feelings for you, but they're not there. I want to end it before we both get hurt…"

"It's a little late for that," he says angrily. He lets go, allowing her to turn for the door. Everyone else in the café is looking at them, one can only assume what they were thinking.

"Goodbye Robin," she says in a hoarse whisper.

She then leaves the café in despair, finally able to break down completely from her sorrow. She catches a cab home and then flops onto her bed. She clings to the sheets, hoping there is still a bit of Robin's scent left. She inhales and continues to cry. Her heart really was truly broken this time. Her sobs echoed through her empty apartment, which is how she felt on the inside now.

Eventually, she gets up and texts her half-sister that it's been done.

 ** _The house is theirs_** it simply says.

The sacrifice she gave to keep those she considered family. She weeps even harder.

…

Meanwhile, across town, Robin sits in a local bar, drinking as much beer as he can, to numb the pain he was in. His mind kept replaying the break up over and over, he tried to find any indication that she was lying to him and that she truly did have feelings for him. She had suddenly stonewalled him and it was not two weeks ago that they'd finally been intimate. Had she played him for a fool? Was it all in his head that he liked her? How could he lose her like that? Was it something he'd done? Was it just too complicated now?

The door of the bar opens and sharp heels hit the dirty tiled floor. A woman in a tight green dress and lethal black heels approaches the man who was drinking his sorrows away. Her red hair pulled up out of her face.

"Drinking alone, are you?" she asks in the smoothest voice she can. She comes up on the stool to sit next to him.

Robin doesn't even look at her, his sadness changing to hatred very quickly.

"What do you want?"

"Can't a woman come for a drink in a bar?"

"I thought you'd be above that?" he mutters, still avoiding her blue eyes.

"Has something happened?" she asks curiously.

"It's none of your business thank you. Now please find yourself another seat."

"You sound very down. How about I buy you one drink as a peace offering? Then I'll leave. Okay?"

Robin rubs his fingers over his eyes, the alcohol in his system clouding his judgment a little bit. He just wants to be alone right now, but obviously, she wouldn't leave him until she bought him that drink.

"Fine, one drink."

 _Thank you for all the reviews. Glad some people share my dislike for Zelena in this story and in the show._


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Are you serious?" Emma asks.

Regina swallows her sadness before answering. "Yes, apparently the anonymous bidder backed out at the last second, found something better and then all I need to do is draw up the paperwork, you need to sign a bunch of stuff and the house is yours."

Emma is tearing up. "Thank you so much, Regina, I don't know how to thank you."

 _I can think of a few ways,_ she thinks to herself. "Emma, it's the least I can do for you after you helped me out all those years ago."

"And they were most definitely worth it," the blonde smiles. "I can't wait to tell Killian and Henry."

"How is he adjusting to the whole idea?" Regina asks.

"Slow and steady, I guess you can say. He's still a bit upset, but he's warming up to it. Dr. Hopper's really helping as well. Someone, who we also need to thank you for suggesting."

"No problem… Glad to hear that everything in your life is going well…"

Emma frowns. "Are you all right Regina?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Well, first off, my lie detector just went off when you said that and there's something in your voice. What happened?"

"Nothing, just been having a few rough days at work…"

"Regina, I can tell you're lying. You can tell me the truth."

Zelena's threat flashes into her mind again and the brunette is on the verge of tears. She wants more than anything to tell Emma the truth, but if her sister was willing to go this far to ruin someone's life, there was no doubt she'd keep her rampage going. She bites her lip hard and decides partial truth could get past Emma's "superpower".

"Robin and I broke up…"

"What?! Why? I thought you guys were doing really well."

"We were, but… some things came up and… we called it quits."

"Just like that?" Emma asks, still very much suspicious.

"Y-Yes…" Regina decides to end this call before they go any further. "I've got to go, I have an important business call coming in."

"But…"

The real-estate agent hangs up and then turns her phone off. She puts her head in her hands and begins to cry. This afternoon replays over and over in her head, bringing more tears to her eyes. She's in her pink, silk, lace nightie, which she had bought for her first Valentine's Day with Robin. She looks down in disgust and then rips it from her body. She takes her hands to it and just destroys the material in the fit of rage. She then throws the remains in the trash can next to her bed. She marches to the kitchen in her bathrobe and grabs the nearest bottle of wine and a glass from the shelves. As she turns to the fridge, she sees a picture that Roland had drawn for her. In that fit of rage, she smashes the glass against the drawing before going into her bathroom. She fills the tub with cold water and opens the bottle of wine. Once she gets inside, she feels her anger become more and more prominent in the ice-cold bath. She takes swigs directly from the bottle and then lays back staring at the ceiling of her bathroom. Tears began falling down her face, adding to the already seemingly salted water.

 _Why me? Why does it always have to be me? What if I had just run away with Daniel when I had the chance? Before everything happened. Would I be this miserable? We could be hippies or even living in France, someplace nice, surrounded by beautiful children. Why did it have to end with Leo and George? Could we have made it work? Why must I be victimized like this? I've done enough good in my life to deserve some type of consolation…!_

Regina puts her head under water for a few long seconds and the thought of drowning herself crosses her mind. She stares upwards at the surface of the water and she swears she can see her red-haired half-sister staring down at her, a smile on her face. No… sister be damned. They technically were not fully related by blood so, she could just be a woman that she hates. A woman who ruined her life time after time and wanted her gone from her very existence… It's bad enough that they shared a mother, but they were still after each other after so many years. Zelena refused to grow up. She was like one of the mean girls in high school who wanted nothing more than to ruin their target's life.

After taking her cold bath, Regina brings the bottle of wine to her bedroom, drinks what she can before placing it on the nightstand, shutting all the lights off and crying herself to sleep.

…

The following morning, she didn't want to get out of bed. She called in sick for work and just lay there in the dark, wishing how different her life was. At least, it couldn't get any worse.

…

Across town, Robin wakes up with a splitting headache. Last night's events are a big blur. His mouth is dry and his stomach turns every so often. His eyes try to adjust to the morning light and soon he realizes that he is not in his own bed. He expected to hear Ana or Will up making themselves breakfast, but instead, it's completely silent. The bedspread that is around him is Egyptian cotton and patterned with dark green flowers. The entire room is unfamiliar with fancy art pieces on the walls and a walk-in closet. He realizes that he doesn't have any clothes on, they are strewn about the strange bedroom with a woman's attire as well. There is also an empty beer bottle on the glass nightstand. He wraps the comforter around himself, feeling completely embarrassed.

Clearly, he got so drunk that he went to another woman's apartment, betraying Regina. He felt dirty and wanted to take a shower to wash his hangover and shame off.

Suddenly there are footsteps in the hallways and the door opens to see a red-headed woman with blue eyes, dressed in a black lace bra and panties standing there with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Good morning Handsome," she says with a gleeful smirk on her face.

Robin shrinks into the comforter, wanting to hide and thinking to himself.

 _What have I done?_!

 _Yep, sorry readers. It happened and sorry that this chapter is shorter. Also with the thought of suicide in this chapter, please, please, PLEASE, if you are thinking about it, seek help immediately. You are worth it in every way and we don't need to lose another beautiful soul._


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Robin is at a loss for words. He cannot believe what he's done. Last night was almost a complete blur to him. He feels like he's betrayed Regina twice over. He did not buy her explanation for why they can't be together but still felt awful enough to go to a bar for a drink. He thought that he was confused before, now his head was spinning. He gazes into the blue eyes of Zelena; she smirks at him behind her cup of coffee.

She, on the other hand, felt amazing and very satisfied. She had set out to do damage and now there was no return. Robin did not deserve Regina, he should be pursuing someone a bit higher on the scale of eligibility. She'd destroyed her sister's happiness and it felt so great.

"W-What happened?" he finally manages to ask.

"What do you think happened?" she chuckles in a high-pitched giggle.

"I-I can't remember."

"Nothing a cup of coffee can't fix; can I make you one Robin?"

"N-No!" he says firmly.

The man starts to gather his bearings. He keeps the comforter around his waist and goes in search of his clothing. His undergarment is next to her closet, his pants hanging from the doorknob and his shirt under the bed. Zelena watches with much glee, enjoying his bumbling antics. He was trying to do damage control and leave with some dignity, but she could tell he had none left. He rushes past her into the bathroom to change.

It takes everything inside of her not to start dancing. She must bite her lip hard to stop herself from laughing. Zelena had finally achieved what she always wanted; to have what Regina was given. She had managed to break the two up and then made her move when he was most vulnerable. To have him for herself. He was very attractive and great in bed, obviously, her younger sister had chosen well. But none of that really mattered to the lawyer, all she wanted to do was get even with Regina and ruin her chances at happiness. She also wanted to watch the man who fired her and rejected her affections squirm and lose much of his pride. She knew there was no coming back from this, no hope for the two lovebirds to ever reunite, and this made the red-head so very happy.

"Do you want something to eat then?" she offers through the door.

"No thank you," is the response.

"Are you sure? A little toast might help that hangover."

"I'm fine!" he insists.

On the other side of the door, Robin is struggling to get back into his clothes because his body is shaking. He feels ashamed and angry at himself. He let himself to be vulnerable and the wicked woman took advantage of that. He let his hurt feelings blind him to what Zelena wanted. Obviously, she got what she wanted and left him a hollow shell. A shell who had slept with his girlfriend's sister. He fights back tears as he thinks of Regina. She'd never want him back now and his heart was slowly breaking. The pain in his chest was worse than the time he'd broken up with Marian. He leans against the door and looks at himself in the mirror.

"You've botched it up this time lad," he whispers to himself.

He emerges from the bathroom, avoiding Zelena's gaze and goes towards the door. He stumbles a little bit and begins searching for his socks and shoes. Both were in very unusual places. Zelena follows him, waiting for Robin to say something.

"Do you want to talk about last night?" she asks.

Robin finally looks at her. "N-No… No thank you. I give you my sincerest apologies. I was very drunk last night and wasn't thinking clearly. I'm sorry to have to tell you this but it shouldn't have happened. I don't want to mislead you in any way, but my heart belongs to another…"

"Not anymore," she murmurs.

Robin stops and looks at her. "What did you say?"

Zelena stops smiling and swallows, realizing her mistake.

"How did you know that Regina had separated from me?" No one knew at this point, absolutely no one unless…

The lawyer doesn't respond. She takes another sip of coffee and looks away from him.

Something clicks in Robin's mind and glares at the woman, understanding something crucial. He now knew why Regina did not give a valid reason for their separation.

"Did you have something to do with her breaking up with me?"

She still doesn't respond.

"You, manipulative bitch!" he barks. "What did you say to her?! What did you do?!"

"Nothing, it's something between sisters."

"I don't buy that bullshit! You're the reason she left the café crying. Did you blackmail her to force her to break up with me?! You threaten violence? So help me God if you…" He's so angry, he can hardly speak anymore. "Then you preyed on me like a shark! Well, take this as our last face to face meeting. You come near me or Regina again, I'm calling the police!"

He then slams the door, leaving her stunned. She didn't expect him to figure it all out so quickly or for him to react so threateningly. She thought he was a gentle soul, who could easily be manipulated. She underestimated him.

She goes towards the kitchen to refill her coffee. A smile slowly begins to form on her face again as she pours some more hot liquid in her mug. He also underestimated her. She knew that this would not be their last meeting, not by a long shot. After all, there had been no protection in her bathroom cabinet.

…

Regina is sitting on the couch with a bowl of ice cream in her lap. She's watching Nicholas Sparks marathon on TV and was in the middle of _The Notebook_ , at the scene where Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are kissing passionately in the rain.

 _Sure, any guy can make up a love story that ends so happily, but it's all bullshit. Nowhere close to real life._

She wipes her eyes with a few tissues and goes for more ice cream. Normally she should be working, helping Emma and Killian close the deal on their house, but she was too depressed and too hurt to even think about work. She wasn't ready to face them. After all, they were the reason she had to break up with Robin in the first place. They were also very happy with a baby on the way and happier future. She was alone again like she'd always been.

She was in sweats and t-shirt, keeping the blinds closed and her phone off. She needed to be by herself. She couldn't face the world today, or any other day it felt like. Why did the world hate her? Was she destined to be alone forever? It had taken her months to recover from both divorces and during that time, she stayed in a little cocoon with sugary treats, comfort clothes, sad movies, and lots of tissues. Although this wasn't the healthiest ways to cope, Regina felt that comfort and time alone was the best way to mend any broken heart. She didn't need anybody telling her that it would "be okay" or "somewhere out there is a man waiting for you" or "there are plenty of fish in the sea." It just made her sick. No one knew how she felt and none of their statements could comfort her. She knew they meant well, but the deep hurt could not be healed by words.

As she reaches into the freezer for more ice cream, there's frantic knocking at her door. Scared and slightly unsure of what to do, she hesitates before the knocking gets louder and harder to the point of pounding. Thinking it might be someone in trouble, she goes to the door. Her jaw drops when she opens the door.

There stands Robin, in his clothes from yesterday. He looks disheveled and very tired, his eyes bloodshot from crying and he pants anxiously.

"R-Regina…"

Once he can see her face again, he lunges into the room and pulls her into a deep kiss.

Regina wants to protest, but the way that Robin holds and kisses her is unlike anything she's ever felt before. His lips seem to cling to hers and press harder and harder with each passing moment as if he might devour her entire mouth. He holds her against his body, never wanting to let go again. His breath becomes heavy in the passion of the moment and he embraces her scent. Regina wants to stop this, but she's helpless against her feelings for him. He was her Prince Charming, the man she wanted to be with and no one, especially her bitch of a sister, could stop that.

The two presses against the wall of the apartment, hands running all over one another, holding tightly. Neither wants to break the embrace.

Eventually, Regina comes up to breathe and pushes him back.

"R-Robin…" she pants.

"I know what happened. I figured it out. Your sister forced you to break it off with me, but I realized, almost too late that you wouldn't do that. You love me too much as I love you."

Regina's dark eyes go wide. "Y-You love me?"

"With all my heart," Robin answers.

She smiles happily and lets out a great laugh of relief. "I love you too."

The two tear up and hold one another's faces, memorizing their features and gazing lovingly into each other's eyes.

"Just tell me what she did to make you hurt…" he says.

"She was threatening to buy the house that Emma and Killian were going to buy. She offered way more money to the seller and she'd only withdraw if I broke up with you."

"And you listened to her."

"I love you Robin, but I love Emma and Henry too. I couldn't let them lose their happiness. I felt trapped and just did what she wanted so she'd leave them out of this."

The man looks at her in wonder and awe.

"You are the most loving woman I've ever met. You've done the most unselfish thing imaginable. You sacrificed your happiness for others."

Regina gives a soft smile, tears filling her eyes. Robin wipes them away with some kisses.

"They helped me in my darkest times, and I was helping them. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"It is I who should be sorry. I should've never believed a word of what you said."

"Good thing I'm a lousy liar," she grins.

The two go back to kissing, they get so into it that they flop onto the couch, changing the channel on the TV and throwing a box of Kleenex to the floor.

Once more, Regina breaks the kiss up.

"She'll want to go after the house again, now that you know…"

"Then you'll just have to work your magic and get them the house first," Robin says with a grin. He begins kissing her neck and running his hands along her legs.

Regina gasps in the heat of the moment, wanting this man so badly. That night on Valentine's Day is damned now…

She would help Emma and Killian close the deal… just not right now...


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"I can't believe Zelena did that!" Emma says in disbelief as both she and Killian sit with Regina in preparation for signing the paperwork with the owner to accept their offer.

It was later in the afternoon of the same day that Regina and Robin had made up. The real-estate agent knew her sister would try to make an offer again to ruin the couple's chance of buying the house, so as soon as she was dressed, she called them to her office and got the landowner on the phone. She'd told them what happened and that everything was fixed.

"Aye, I never thought she'd sink so low."

"I can, she's never been afraid of playing dirty."

"Regina, we're so sorry. I don't know how I can thank you…" Emma hugs her friend for a long time.

"Don't worry about it too much, but we've got to get these documents signed before she tries to make another offer."

"I'm just happy that you and Robin patched things up, love."

Regina smiles. "Me too."

The property owner walks into his agent's office and greets each of them with a strong handshake.

"This is Mr. Hyde," Regina says, introducing them.

The man with glasses and red hair smiles at the couple before sitting down. "Pleasure to meet you both," he says. "I'm happy to see that my grandmother's house will be going to a family who can enjoy it for many years."

"Mr. Hyde's grandfather actually built the house," Regina explains.

"With his own two hands. He and my grandmother raised a fantastic family of four there, one boy and three girls, the boy being my father."

"It certainly is a beautiful place," Emma compliments.

"That's why it's so hard to let it go," Mr. Hyde grimaces. "But neither me nor my twin brother, Jeck, want it any longer. We're scientists by trade and travel too much to maintain a household like this."

Regina begins sorting the paperwork and explaining where each of them must sign.

"By the way, did you ever find out about the anonymous buyer Regina?" the property owner asks. "It's a real shame they dropped out at the last minute. That was quite an offer."

The three friends look at one another with nervous glances. Clearly, Mr. Hyde wanted an offer that was better and meant more money for himself, anyone would. They were still worried that he would change his mind and want to find the other buyer. Regina swallows. "Yes, but the person would not treat the house like Killian and Emma would."

"How do you know that?"

"Let's just say, Regina's a good judge of character," Emma cuts in quickly.

"Aye, besides your grandfather built the house meant for a family and we're certainly a growing one," Killian adds.

"I extend my congratulations to the both of you, how many months are you?"

"Six and a half," Emma says, running her hand over her swelling abdomen.

"I do hope you use the room right above the garden, that was the family nursery and it really is the best place to bring a new baby home too."

"We'll consider that thank you," Emma smiles, signing her name on one of the dotted lines. Killian follows suit. "My son has already claimed his room."

"Ah yes, you have a son too?"

"Yes, and it will be great for him to have a yard to run around in."

Mr. Hyde smiles earnestly and he hands over the deeds for the land and signs a few forms. Regina sorts them accordingly and then looks at those around her.

"Well, all that is left is payment,"

Emma reaches into her purse and grabs her chequebook. She and Killian had worked out how much each of them would pay the down payment. She writes the amount out and signs her name before handing it to Regina. Killian follows her actions, paying for his half. Regina then hands the cheques to the man.

"Well, congratulations, you are now the owners of this house," Regina says proudly

Mr. Hyde smiles at them and hands the expectant couple the keys to his house. Everyone stands up and Killian shakes hands with the scientist.

"I hope you enjoy the house," the now former owner says. "May you have a wonderful life there."

"Thank you very much," the docks man responds.

Mr. Hyde then shakes Emma and Regina's hands before exiting her office. The moment he's gone, the blonde wraps her arms around her boyfriend, letting the tears flow and he picks her up, despite the extra weight she was carrying and kisses her passionately.

"We did it!" she gasps, still dizzy with the news. "We own a house!"

"We do indeed Swan, perfect for our little princess," he puts her down and places his hand on her stomach. The baby was a little overwhelmed by the change in gravity and was letting her mother and father know about it.

The couple then turns to Regina, Emma embracing her tightly.

"I can't believe you were going to give up Robin so that we could have the house… There's no way we can repay you for that…"

"There's no need to. I'm just happy that you and Henry can start anew, and hopefully have a better future."

Emma just hugs her friend for a long time. "There are no words to describe how grateful we are. We should have a room just for you when you come to visit."

"That would be nice, I'd like a fruit bowl and a full-length mirror in there if that's possible."

The three of them laugh and suddenly Regina gets an idea.

"There might be one way to repay me,"

"And what might that be?" Killian asks.

"Dinner and an ice cream sundae at _Granny's_ would be great."

They laugh again before Regina files the paperwork away and they go to pick up Henry and Robin.

…

Later in the evening, the five of them sit in a booth at _Granny'_ s, eating burgers and onion rings and drinking strawberry milkshakes. They all laugh and talk about what they plan to do with the house as well as the next big step which is packing and setting a moving date. Henry leans his head on Regina's shoulder, while Robin has his strong arm around her and she feels the warmth and happiness that comes from having a family like this, feeling love and compassion. She may still have a sister and a mother, but as far as she's concerned, they aren't her real family if they threaten their other friends or just generally make her life more difficult. She now knows that the world may be hard to her, but it's testing her, to see if she realizes what she has and values it. The hurdle seemed to be conquered and now that she and Robin were on the right path again. Nothing could go wrong.

Or so she thinks…

 _Sorry if the chapter is a bit shorter. There will be a time jump in the next chapter to speed things along a little bit._


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"So, Emma, how do you think Henry is adjusting to moving now?" Dr. Hopper asks.

"He gets better every day. I think he more or less accepts it now."

"That's good to hear. And how has the bonding been going? Are you spending lots of time with him?"

"As much as I can," Emma nods. She grabs Killian's hand tightly. Today was just a couple's session, while Henry had mid-terms.

"And Killian, how is the communication going between the two of you."

"Very well… I see more of the old Emma every day." He kisses her cheek gently.

"Well, I must say that all three of you have progressed well in the last month or so. I knew it would not be easy, but you've all tried to work through every problem as a team. And how the preparation for the move and the new arrival?"

"Slowly. It's not easy packing up the place you've called home for the last fifteen years," Emma says.

"Aye, in addition, we're moving from two different locations to one."

"Very understandable. Have we had any conflicts recently?"

"Just a few, I think most of them are caused by the hormones and how uncomfortable I am. We fought over furniture and moving trucks last week. It seemed so pointless now that we think about it."

…

 _Last week._

"Henry, what is too small for you so we can give things away?" Emma asked, sitting in front of her son's closet.

"Mom, I told you I'd pack for myself," he responds from his desk, doing algebra.

"I know but we do have a deadline to move in…" She pauses, remembering about being gentle with her son, after all, this move is hard for him. "I'm sorry Bug, I know you have a lot going on at school, but please try to make an effort as soon as you can."

"I will Mom, I promise," he nods.

Emma comes over and kisses her son's head before the door of the apartment opens. She heaves her baby bump up and goes to greet her boyfriend. She travels down the hall past empty and partially full boxes. All this moving is starting to stress her out. They have less than three months left to prepare for the baby and it seems like everything is going really slowly. She can't lift or pack for long periods of time because her feet are swelling and her back is hurting. She can't sleep in any good positions because of the bump and her nightmares are still haunting her. Therefore, she also has less and less energy with each passing day.

She smiles when she sees Killian and wraps him in a hug.

"How's my Swan today?"

"Not great,"

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I wish there was some way to make packing go faster. How's it going on your end?"

"Better, it's just hard to sort what is mine and what is Will's or Robin's."

"I'm glad somebody's making progress."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about something Swan, what about the furniture?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are there things that I can bring from my apartment?"

"There'll certainly be lots of room for it…"

"Because if not, I was either going to donate or sell them."

"Selling might give us more money."

Emma leaned against the kitchen sink.

"It's up to you Love,"

"Well, please make a decision soon, because we still need to decide on a moving company."

"I know."

"Did you do the research I asked you to?"

"No."

"What?!"

"I was busy at work today. I forgot."

Emma sighed heavily. "You're always busy at work, no matter what I ask you to do for me!"

Killian takes a step back after her remark. "Whoa… Emma…"

"I ask you to do a simple thing today and you can't do that right! Is there anything you can do to make my job any harder?!"

"I'm sorry Emma, but I am the one making the money right now."

"Because I'm too fragile right now… Maybe if you hurried up and sold that junk in your apartment, we'd have more money."

"Hey, I said I was sorry, there's no need to be so harsh."

"It's exactly the reason I need to be harsh," she fired back. "You have no idea what I'm dealing with here. I gave up half my life-savings to spend on this stupid house, the least you can do is have a list of moving companies so we can actually go to that house!"

Killian swallowed angrily. "Are you forgetting that I gave up a lot of my dead brother's insurance to pay for my half too?! Money that could be spent elsewhere if you want."

"How dare you?! You have no idea what kind of pressure I'm under."

"No Idea?!" he barked, clenching his fists. "I'm the one paying the bills for your sake! I'm the breadwinner to support this family. A family we are less than four months from becoming bigger. I'm the one who will be doing the heavy lifting and I assume that I'm the one who will be paying the movers!"

"Well, I'm carrying your child, trying to pack everything up and raise my fifteen-year-old son, who if he doesn't accept this move soon, he might run away again or go live with his father!" Emma was in tears now and she gripped the counter angrily.

The couple stood in a moment of silence before Killian decided to leave before he said something that he might regret.

He let the door slam on his way out. Emma collapsed on the ground in tears. Her anger and frustration have made her head spin. She feels so angry and yet so confused. Why couldn't he see what she was going through? She's sleep-deprived, fat, hot, ugly, stressed, sore and of course traumatized by past events. Why couldn't he understand that? Why couldn't he do the simplest things to make her life a little bit easier? She didn't want to be mad at him, she didn't want to blow the best relationship she'd had in such a long time. And yet… she couldn't help but be furious at him and at herself. She loved him so much… he must be as angry at her. She just set him off it felt like… it was all her fault.

She continued to cry quietly. Henry was outside his door, he wanted to shut it or say something, but it might just make things worse. He, himself, was close to crying. He was having his own flashbacks to when his mom and dad would fight late at night when they thought he was asleep. He remembers thinking that this was somehow his fault for making them fight, but now he knew that adults had their own problems and it was better to just stay out of it all together. He sat just behind his door, listening to his mother sobbing in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Killian had stormed down the street in a frenzy of anger. His breath came out in thick clouds as he ground his teeth together and let out frustrated sighs. He cannot believe what happened between him and Emma. They seemed to be fighting more and more lately, which made him sad but also angry. He loved Emma with all his heart, so if they loved each other so much, why were they fighting?

He found the nearest park bench and sat down. He put his head in his hands and let the tears come. He thinks about his beautiful love at home, no doubt upset and likely as distraught as he was. He sighed heavily and just took the time to cool down, letting the cold early March weather soothe his temper. He began to clear his head and think more rationally. He thinks about how she must be feeling and knows he's going to have to try and smooth things over. Yes, things were happening very quickly and obviously, it was overwhelming for the both of them, but they loved one another and they should be able to endure anything.

He took a walk along the darkening streets of Boston before going to an Internet café and printing out the list she wanted. He then slowly walked back to the apartment, not knowing that he had been seen by a shady figure leaving a nearby bar.

Killian held his breath and knocked on the door.

Emma's tear stricken face appears. Once she sees him, she embraces him tightly.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"No, it was my fault Love, I shouldn't have said those things about the money…"

"No, it was mine. I'm just not myself anymore Killian. I'm fat, I'm swelling up like a balloon, I can't sleep anymore and my hormones are so uneven. Despite all this, I shouldn't be taking it out on you…"

"I understand Emma. You were wrong about the first thing though, you're not fat, you're beautiful, you're glowing and you do have a right to express how you feel."

"It's just happening so fast," she whimpered.

"I know, but I love you no matter what happens."

"I love you too," she said before kissing him. This action took Killian aback. Kisses were becoming so very rare these days because of her trauma, so he decides to enjoy every moment of it. His tongue slid into her mouth and he held her head gently. She wrapped her arms around him and ran her hands through his hair.

The two stopped when they heard Henry behind them. They look at him, slightly embarrassed.

"Is everything okay in paradise now?" he asked.

The couple laughed and opened their arms to Henry. They embraced for a few moments, savoring the quiet, the calm after the storm.

…

 _Present Day_

"Well, I'd say you handled that quite well, taking a step back and I'm glad you managed to find a solution."

"It just felt so silly," Emma protests.

"I know. Fights often start over small things and they often tend to hide bigger issues between the two partners. If you'd like you're both welcome to share what you were so angry about during that fight."

The rest of the session goes fairly smoothly and Dr. Hopper leaves them with suggested instructions for future fights. Stop before it escalates, take a few moments to cool, and then talk about what was really bothering them. The two leave the session arm and arm, ready to back to packing not knowing that someone was watching them from across the street. Someone who had noticed Emma's maternity coat and the man she was with.

Someone who was not happy at all.

 _Moving day is approaching. I decided to include a fight between Emma and Killian to show it's not all roses in the garden and that they are human too. The only problem is, someone is still around to cause trouble in their paradise._


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Arthur King unlocks his tiny apartment door and steps into the darkness. He sides step a pile of magazines in the corner by his bedroom door. Once he turns the light on, he heads for his bedroom and collapses onto his bed, faces first into the pillows. He'd never thought that his job would be so exhausting.

The wanted man had a new identity, Jacob Hart. He'd dyed his hair blonde and frequently spent time at tanning salons to hide his pasty skin. He'd acquired a job at a lumber yard just outside of Boston, a company that paid him under the table, which got rid of the social security problem. He'd managed to find a cheap apartment nearby that was small but livable. Using the loosest definition of the word "livable" as the place was tremendously dirty, mostly by his own doing. Stacks and stacks of newspapers littered the floors and the couch of his living room, dirty dishes filled the sink, take-out containers were overflowing his trash, dirty clothes lay in heaps near the bathroom, soap scum could be found staining the sink and shower and the whole place smelled of cigarette smoke and the used butts were extinguished in impromptu ashtrays. But most of all, his apartment was piled high with bottles of booze. Beer cans were crumpled and lay atop the TV, half-empty liquor bottles lined the floors by the kitchenette and bathrooms and the unopened bottles sat in the warm fridge.

Arthur groans and just lies in his unkempt room, still covered in sawdust from his job at the lumber yard. His life had fallen apart. He missed his wife and children, he hated that he'd never gotten that child he wanted and he hated that Emma had gotten away. He had done so much to try and make his family better, and instead, he is left as a bitter and very lonely man.

He rolls over once and looks at the far side of his wall. Taped to the dilapidated wallpaper were articles about the entire event that he had started.

He'd been collecting and cutting out articles about the case, almost from the beginning. For some odd reason, he liked having his name in the paper, even if it was for the wrong reasons. He felt almost famous. He had started collecting them back when he was first holding Emma in the basement and continued even after they'd "moved" to the cabin. They had been taking up space in the bed of his truck and he'd cut out the articles and stuff them in a bag. It was the only thing he had with him after he disappeared into the night and burned the truck. Now that he had a permanent place, he'd taped them up on the wall, it was not just a reminder of what he'd done, but what he still had to do.

Various headlines pop out at him.

 _Woman Abducted at Bar_

 _Son of Kidnapped Victim Pleas for Help_

 _Wife Found Beaten in Home_

 _Arthur King, Most Wanted Man in Boston_

 _Children of Monster Found Safe and Sound_

 _Wife of Abductor Denies Any Knowledge of Kidnapping_

 _"_ _She Will Be Found," says Commissioner Gold_

 _Is She Still Alive?_

 _Sightings of Miss Swan Reported_

 _Emma Swan Found Alive!_

 _Boyfriend of Ms. Swan Wants Privacy_

 _Pregnant by Monster?_

 _Will She Keep It?_

 _The Search Continues…_

The ones that frustrate him the most are the ones about Emma's alleged pregnancy. The reporters couldn't confirm anything, but Arthur could. The blonde bitch was carrying his baby. He wasn't sure whether she was keeping it or not, but he wanted that child. It was rightfully his and he worked hard to get it. The Irish Idiot whom she called her boyfriend should not be allowed to raise his child, his flesh, and blood.

Arthur had added his own special touches to the articles, including drawing x's through Killian Jones' and Henry Swan's face. He'd also circled the pictures of Emma, indicating he still needed her.

He sighs heavily and rolls over to get a few hours of sleep. He'd been working the night shift for several weeks now and it left his body sore and exhausted. He falls asleep, dreaming of ways to get that child from the blonde one.

…

Several hours later, Arthur is up again, ready to go back to work. He remains in the same clothes and grabs a pack of cigarettes from his messy apartment before heading downtown. He always liked to grab a few drinks before heading to work. He believed that the alcohol made him stronger and more focused on the mediocre tasks he had to do.

After downing several brews, he looks at the clock and knows he should head to work. As he exits the bar, he notices someone across the street on a park bench. The man is hunched over and appears to be crying. Arthur squints to get a better look at the man, thinking he might be a good person to rob until the dark-haired man wipes his eyes and stares off into oblivion. Arthur's blood pressure rises when he recognizes the man. His face was plastered on his wall and he was the one who was going to raise **_his_** child. Arthur's hands clench into fists and he grinds his teeth together. He wants to go over and teach the man a lesson, but another idea pops into his head. He might be able to find where Emma lived. His heart soared with excitement and he stood in the shadow of the bar, waiting for Killian Jones to go back to his beloved Emma.

Eventually, the docks man stands up and goes along the street. Arthur casually follows him at a safe distance, fortunately, Killian is so caught up with his own problems, he doesn't notice that he's being followed. The stalker watches as Mr. Jones goes into an internet café for about 20 minutes and then towards an apartment complex. Once he disappears inside, Arthur grins to himself, knowing he's found her.

At first, he just wants to charge into the apartment and grab Emma, but if her boyfriend is around, she is likely protected. Plus, the building had good security. He needs to get her when she's alone… just like she was that night. He also needs to be as subtle and as inconspicuous as possible, not to draw attention to himself.

Arthur spends the next week during the day camped outside of the apartment complex, taking extra care at concealing himself. He takes careful mental notes of the comings and goings of this "happy" little family. He watches the son go to school every day and learns the name of said school. He watches the boyfriend go off to work and come home in the evenings. The problem is, Emma hardly leaves the apartment and when she does, she gets in her car to drive away before he can grab her or is with someone else.

Arthur also knows he must plan everything carefully, so it won't end up a big mess like the last time. He doesn't have a basement anymore to house a prisoner and most of his tools and drugs were confiscated by the police. He needs to take his time and have the patience to get his prize.

Today, he watches as the happy couple exit a therapy session, happily holding hands and stopping at that stupid diner again for lunch. He quietly observes them through the window, having a cigarette with him as not to arouse too much suspicion. His mind races with potential plots of how to acquire what was rightfully his. He knew he had to get Emma back, and he knew he had to do it soon.

 _Sorry if this is a bit shorter, but I am showing what Arthur's life is now like. He's going to have to do a lot of planning and this shows how he is slowly losing his sanity over this obsession of getting Emma's daughter._


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"How many more boxes?" David grunts as he carries a cardboard box filled with dishes through the apartment lobby and out into the waiting truck.

"Just a few more," Emma assures him, coming out with a bag that seemed too heavy for her to lift, following him behind.

"Emma, you shouldn't be carrying anything!" Killian says, almost angrily as he takes the bag from her.

"I'm pregnant, not made of glass," she sighs. All day she's been trying to help load the moving truck, but they kept taking things from her and insisting she sit down to rest.

"You still shouldn't be doing anything to strain yourself," Ruby adds, adding a heavy reading lamp from the living room into the pile.

Emma rolls her eyes and heads back into the apartment. The last two weeks have been hectic, trying to pack everything up into boxes, renting the moving truck, gaining the keys from the landowner, setting the date to move, paying fees and other complicated things. She knows that moving can often take months, but since she was going to pop in less than three months, they had to speed things up. It was apparent to only her that the baby did not particularly like this stress. The heavy lifting and constant movement put a strain on her body and the tiny girl inside of her, was none too happy, constantly kicking her bulging stomach. She takes the stairs back up and stops at the doorway, she looks at the gold number next to the door, 205. It's a number she'd seen for so long, passing it while going to work, and again when she tried to find her keys when coming in at night. She taught Henry how to recognize the number when he was little and for a long time she thought she'd never see it again.

She pushes open the door and gazes into the empty foyer, a place that was now void of a welcome mat, boots to the left and a coat rack that often held her red leather jacket, Henry's coat, and favourite scarf. She continues walking, looking at the living room to her right. The TV, cotton couch, leather chair, coffee table, bookshelf, and a large gray rug that covered the hardwood floor were gone, nothing but a room with an electric fireplace and only memories. Emma tears up a little, thinking about all the times Henry had built forts out of the pillows and cushions, pretending to be a king, or scattered his Legos while he was building something. She stands in the spot where Neal knelt and proposed to her, in front of a roaring fire, and the place where Henry whacked his head on the corner of the bookshelf and needed to get stitches. Her mind floods with further happy times; staring the place where they put the Christmas tree every winter and opening presents on the floor, thinking of the times she, Neal and Henry would sit together and watch movies, the tickle fights that Neal and Henry had, reminiscing the days when she collapsed on the couch after work or slept there when Neal started snoring. Even the recent memories move her greatly, her movie nights with Killian and her son, kissing her beloved boyfriend on the couch, cuddling or having talks and all the times she sat watching TV or reading, while Henry fell asleep in her lap.

Her gaze goes across to the dining room where the family meals had been had. Many birthday candles were blown out there, happy holiday feasts, a place for her son to hide under while playing hide-and-seek and just those nights when it was just her and Henry, talking or simply sitting in comfortable silence. Of course, now it was just a tiled floor with a small lighting fixture above it, but it still holds a place in her heart.

The journey then takes her to the kitchen and all the adventures it endured. The time Henry and Neal tried to cook her breakfast in bed and almost setting the apartment on fire. She couldn't count how many times she found that her son had figured out a way to use the kitchen cupboards like a ladder and scale up to find the cookies. The loud racket of him banging pots on the floor and the smells of baking or cooking new dishes. Some turned out better than others and since Killian had come into their lives, it always smelled good. She gazes upward at the place where she'd kept her wine and other alcohol, the place she went when she was depressed or just needed stress relief from all the constant pressure she was under as a working woman and a mother. But most of all, she remembers feeling more at home here than almost anywhere else, even though all the appliances had been removed and it now smelled clean.

She goes further, down the hall where her room was. It was barren now, but she can remember the nights she, Neal and Henry sat up together, reading from his fairy tale book, or when he'd jump on them in the morning. The breakfasts in bed, the days of rushing to get dressed or prepare for date nights. Her deepest moments of intimacy between her and Neal, and now her and Killian, were held here. The place where she felt safe and could escape her troubles and even after her ordeal, this particular place gave her solace and comfort when she needed it most. She fights the urge to go and sit on the bed because it is no longer there.

The hallway was like a coffin, no family photos hanging from the walls. She pauses at the bathroom for a moment, thinking of the bubble baths she'd given her son and all the fun they had brushing their teeth together. The times she spent fussing over her hair and sometimes just staring at her reflection as if it was judging her about her life choices. She'd take moments in the morning and night to pause and think about who she truly was.

The last place she goes is her son's room. She pushes the door open and finds him standing there, amongst the now plain, blank walls. Gone were his posters, his bookshelf, his dirty clothes that littered the floor, the toys and costumes he used to have that lay in a chest in the corner. His desk piled high with homework and papers was now in the truck and the closet was empty, proving once and for all that there were no monsters in it.

Henry stands with a duffle bag and backpack over his shoulders. His eyes are filled with tears, feeling so sad and hollow. So many happy memories flashed through his mind and he hated that they were now all gone. He hears his mother behind him and tries to wipe the tears away. She doesn't seem to mind, she just pulls him into a tight hug, despite her uneasiness and the growing baby.

"It may just be an apartment, but for a long time, it was still home," he mutters into her shoulder.

"It was a home because you made it that," Emma says softly, rubbing his back. "And I thank you for making it so."

"It would've felt very different if you and dad weren't here to protect me and give me everything I needed."

Emma kisses her son's cheek and gently wipes away his tears with her finger. She too is crying, upset by the change, but she knew deep down they had to move on, start a new chapter in their lives and make a new home.

She keeps her arm around him as they stare at the room, empty to some, full of memories of them. They turn to see Neal standing in the doorway, very close to tears himself.

"Couldn't leave until we all said goodbye," he mutters, walking over, and hugging both Henry and Emma tightly. "Things may be different now, but no one can take away the times we had here… It may not have been much, but it was a home."

"Home is where your heart is…" Emma whispers.

The three stand in silence for a long time, closing this chapter of their lives, almost ready to start a new one.

They then walk slowly down the hall and stop at the door once more before Emma shuts it and locks it for the final time.

 _They're finally moving! It's a new start for them, but as you can probably guess, it won't be as happy with Arthur lurking around. Please read and review. Also, sorry I haven't updated in a while, been really busy at work and haven't found a lot of time to write._


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Emma, Neal, and Henry head downstairs, closing their apartment door for the last time. David is just closing the back of the moving van and turns to the small family on the street. He smiles at them sympathetically and pulls all of them in for a hug.

"Moving is never easy… I know that for a fact."

Emma gives a weak smile and rubs her hand over her stomach. "It's time to start anew." She pulls her jacket over her growing child and zips it up. It's a tight fit considering how big her daughter is becoming.

She then heads over to her bug, which Killian is driving. The back is almost completely stuffed to the brim with stuff, leaving only a little room for Henry to sit. Neal goes for his own car, while David, his own truck. Once in the passenger seat, Killian leans over and kisses Emma on the cheek. She turns and meets his lips.

"Are you all right, Love?" he asks once they break apart.

"Just sad," she explains. "It's like leaving a part of me behind."

"It will always be there Swan. And hopefully, now, a new family can move-in and create new memories like you, Henry, and Neal had…" He understood completely as to why she was sad, after all, he left Ireland when he was only five and never saw his homeland again. No matter how beneficial the move was for them, it was still sad… a home is where they create memories, where they felt safe, where they felt loved…

"I hope so…" she says quietly.

"Besides, we have our own memories to make…" he smiles, putting his hand on her stomach. The two kiss once more before the moving van honks the horn, indicating they had to get moving. Killian puts the bug in gear and drives across the snow-covered parking lot. Emma and Henry stare longingly at the building, memories flowing through their heads before the car makes a turn and it vanishes completely.

…

"Come on Will," Robin groans. He throws his half-naked roommate out of bed by flipping the sheets from under him. Mr. Scarlett lands on the floor with a thump but continues to snore, face in the dingy carpet, one foot still on the bed. He sleeps in his tightie whities, an empty rum bottle next to his bed.

"How drunk can one man be?" the personal trainer groans.

Robin cranks the volume on his phone and puts it next to Will on the floor. The dark-haired man doesn't even stir. He goes to the kitchen to get a glass of water and throws it in his roommate's face. The sleeping slob merely rolls over and mutters something in his sleep.

He then smirks, knowing exactly what will get him up.

He grabs Will's phone from the nightstand and pretends to open it.

"Hey Ana," he says, loudly that he's sure the lazy bum on the floor can hear it. He walks out of the room and continues to raise his voice louder and louder during this pretend conversation. "Yeah, he's asleep again. Yes, he did get drunk last night. I know. We are supposed to help Killian move today. What's that? Really? Your ex-boyfriend texted you… and what did he say ab…"

Robin never has to finish his sentence because Will is off the floor and out of his room, trying to grab the phone. He hides the smile of satisfaction as his idiot roommate fumble to put the phone to his ear.

"Ana…? Ana, what happened? What did Lewis say…"

Will glares at his snickering roommate, "That was a dirty trick mate."

"It was the only way to get you off your lazy ass."

"Why must you torment me so?"

"Did you forget that we're helping Killian and Emma move in today?"

"Forget… no… wanted to forget, yes,"

"Come on, of all the favours you've asked of Killian… you owe him enough to help him move in with his girlfriend."

"It's not my problem," Will grunts, going to the kitchen in his underwear for something to eat. He finds fresh food and goes for a bag of grapes. Robin grabs them from him.

"What the hell?!"

"This stuff is not for you, it's for Kil and Emma."

"Why the hell did you buy all this good stuff for them?"

"So, they can save some money on groceries and feed Henry. The woman is also pregnant and needs good food for the baby."

"Why must we insist that we make a big deal out of this, it's a baby, all it'll do is eat and burp all day, and it's a new house, it's a building with windows…?"

"It also shows a sign of maturity. Something you lack a lot of," Robin grumbles, putting the food back in the fridge. He then begins searching the cupboards. "Where is your cooler?"

"Why?"

"To put the food in you dolt, it'll spoil by the time we're done unpacking if we don't refrigerate it."

Will sighs angrily, his stomach growls and his head pounds from the alleged hangover he had. He goes to the tap and sticks his head underneath it, drinking as much water as he can. Robin finds the cooler and puts all the good food into it. He can't help but smile. Not only was his best friend moving out, although he'd prefer if Will was the one leaving, not Kil, he'd also get to see Regina again. It had been awhile since they reconciled, and the dates were as frequent as they could manage, but with their clashing schedules, it was becoming harder to see each other for even coffee. Fortunately, helping his friends move into a new house, was the perfect excuse to get off work and see his beloved again. He hadn't quite admitted it to himself yet, but he thinks he's falling in love with her. Her dark eyes seem to always be full of love and compassion, her presence lighting up every room she entered and his heart soared over the moon when she kissed him. He was still working out custody with Marian, but both agreed that each parent deserved equal time with Roland. And just because he was getting divorced, doesn't mean he can start fresh with this new woman. He thought about her all the time and almost felt lost when they weren't together.

"Now put some pants on and get ready to go."

Will opens his mouth to protest, but Robin shoves some discarded clothes at him.

"Come on, you need the exercise. Besides, Ana's away on business, isn't she?"

The half-naked roommate opens his mouth but then closes it again. He knows there's no getting out of this. He stomps towards the bathroom to take a shower.

"Also Kil asked us to bring these boxes with us, as soon as you're done, I'm going to need a hand," his mate calls from down the hall.

Mr. Scarlett just groans again before turning on the water.

He lets out a shriek of pain with the icy water hitting his hot skin.

"Also, I used up all the hot water this morning," Robin calls with a smirk.

…

"There it is," Emma whispers as they pull up next to the white picket fence surrounding the house. It's windows stare blankly at them, like eyes, with nothing to show any indication of light and the gray paint blends almost seamlessly into the afternoon sky. The yard is covered with snow at the porch swing next to the door rocks gently back and forth in the winter breeze. The SOLD sign stands next to their car. Emma is slightly emotional, hardly believing that this was now her home… their home. The dark roof shelters it from the snow and there's a tree in the corner of the yard, perfect for making a swing for Henry in the spring. In the distance, they can hear the ships of the Boston Harbour honking their horns at one another as they passed by.

"It's beautiful Love," Killian says.

"I just can't believe it's ours," she sighs in wonder.

"It looks kind of haunted…" Henry remarks.

"It doesn't look like much now, but soon it will be filled with life," Emma says optimistically.

"Well, let's get moving then," the docks man says, stopping the car, and getting out. Emma feels the weight of the key in her pocket. She gets out into the bitterly cold weather and goes up the path to their new home. She fumbles to find the key to the white door, holding her breath in anticipation and anxiety.

She opens the door into the front foyer. The stairs are directly in front of her and there's a door that leads into the unfinished basement. Closer to, right in front of her is what will be the living room, devoid of anything except the fireplace and to the left is the dining room and kitchen, fully stocked with appliances. She takes in the scene before imagining the place filled with their things. She can picture her and Killian in the kitchen making breakfast each morning, cuddling to one another. Henry sitting at the dining room table, doing his homework, the three and then four of them huddled together on the couch to watch a movie. She can see the late nights, walking their daughter up and down the upstairs or feeding her in front of a roaring fire. Her eyes fill with tears, thinking this might be some dream. Some confusing, but beautiful dream.

Noises erupt behind her and she can see the moving van, David's truck, Neal's, Regina's, Elsa's, Aurora's, Ruby's cars lining the front of their new home. She sighs quietly to herself before going outside. She can see Killian and Henry already hard at work unloading the yellow Volkswagon. She smiles to herself, walking down the path to help.

"Okay, let's bring the stuff in."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"Henry, where do you want your comic books?" David asks, lugging another big cardboard box into the teen's new room.

"Just in the corner, for now, please," he answers. "Most are going on my bookshelf."

David does as the teen asks and steps back to take in the currently empty space. Henry is sorting through his books on the floor, figuring out which can go on different shelves. The room is much larger than his room in the apartment, with two windows on opposite walls giving him a great view of the front and backyard, the closet is twice as big as his old one for clothes and shoes, and there is enough wall space for all his posters and pictures.

"Looks kind of empty right now huh?" David asks.

"Just wait a week or two, it'll be filled with dirty laundry, comic books, and candy wrappers," Emma smirks. She carries a bag over her shoulder and a box filled with towels and sheets past her son's room.

Henry shoots his mom a dirty look but goes back rifling through his books. Killian takes a heavy box down the hall to the master bedroom. He places it down, while Emma follows him. The two take a quiet moment, interlocking hands.

"What do you think?" she asks quietly.

"A bit of dusting and some paint, but other than that it looks amazing…"

"Especially the view," she says guiding Killian over to the window. The two look out through the gray landscape and can see the older parts of the Boston Harbour. Several old ships are moored in the marina and beyond that, there is nothing but the blue of the Massachusetts Bay. She can tell Killian is having a moment, staring at the breath-taking sight. "It's not the ocean in Ireland, but it's the closest we can get." She then lays her head on his shoulder.

"Liam would be happy to live here," he whispers softly. Emma gives his hand a comforting squeeze.

They stand in silence for a little while until a voice interrupts their bliss.

"Oy, you expect us to bring all the furniture into the house by ourselves?" Will asks, he carries several table lamps meant for either side of their soon to be built bed.

"I'm sorry Will," Killian sighs. He gives Emma a kiss on the cheek before going to help his former roommates bring in the heavy stuff.

The blonde feels a little bit guilty that she can't help more; she is a strong person and is more than capable of assisting in carrying the heavy types of furniture like the beds or the leather couch. However, with their daughter less than four months from being born, she had to take it easy.

She goes over to the nightstand that once stood in her old apartment. She digs through the bag she was carrying and removes a picture of her, Henry, and Neal. She places it down and steps back. Even though Neal is no longer living with them, he is still Henry's father and deserves to be recognized as such. She knows that she will have to add a picture of her, Henry, Killian and the new baby soon. She cannot believe how much her life has changed. She feels tears rush into her eyes. More than six months ago, she was a lonely single mom, who took down criminals and avoided various attachments. Now, she was moving into a new house, with her boyfriend and she was carrying their baby. Not everything that happened was good, but she taking small steps to recover. She never imagined this is how her life would go, but she was thankful for the good things.

She goes downstairs to see Mary Margret already starting to unpack the kitchen appliances, with Jacob sitting in his baby bucket on the island counter watching. The blonde reaches in and scoops up the little one, becoming more and more comfortable with babies, reassuring for the anxiety she felt towards becoming a mother again.

"Which cabinet do you want for glasses?" the teacher asks. She's been cleaning out the cupboards with a rag. "I recommend pantry things up high as well, I swear I saw a rat under the sink just now."

"Don't worry about all this Mary," Emma says. She knows she should put her foot down now or her best friend will micromanage everything and make this house like theirs. Emma wanted a sense of individuality at least enough of one.

"You know you shouldn't be on your feet too much, sit down. Can I get you some water?"

"I'm fine," Emma mutters, rolling her eyes. Everyone acted so differently around her now, because of the baby. She didn't need to lay around while everyone else did all the work, this was her house after all.

Then the men come through the front door with the leather couch.

"Where do you want it?" David grunts.

"Just put it close to the fireplace for now. Killian and Henry will arrange it how I want it afterward."

Henry groans as he comes down the stairs while Killian also tries to hide his discomfort, but that was mostly due to the fact that he was also carrying the couch. The team of four men put the sofa down where Emma specified and then went back outside. Regina, Aurora, and Ruby come through next with chairs for the dining room.

"Phillip and Henry will bring in the actual table," Aurora says. Just then, Phillip Jr. comes toddling through the front hall from the dining room, playing with a tiny toy plane. He suddenly runs smack into the leather couch, unaware that it was there. He falls on his butt and explodes into tears. Aurora immediately goes down and picks up her son for comfort.

"I'm sorry if he's making a mess Emma, I just couldn't find a sitter today."

"It's fine," Emma says, bouncing Jacob on her hip. "It's nice to know that this is not the best place to put the sofa and that this house is kid friendly."

Regina goes back outside, leaving the mothers to talk amongst themselves, knowing she didn't fit in that way. She smiles instantly when she sees Robin unloading something from the truck. He smiles back until he nearly drops the thing he's carrying. She comes to his rescue and helps him carry the thing inside.

"Thank you," he says, smiling once they take the object upstairs. Since no one is in the hallway, they have a few moments to talk alone. He takes Regina into his arms and kisses her. She instantly obliges to his passionate demands, grasping his face in her hands and trying to memorize the taste of him.

They become lost in one another until she begins trying to remove his winter coat and he is nibbling on the nape of her neck. She pushes back to speak.

"Okay easy tiger," she says, standing up straight again.

"I've missed you," the personal trainer says, still holding her in his arms.

"I've missed you too, I want to be able to spend more time with you, although the dates we've had have been so amazing."

"I sometimes wish our lives weren't so busy," he sighs.

"Or you didn't have roommates that have claimed the apartment for their own sexual purposes or was having a baby of his own. Or a son you're still working out custody for…"

"Or you weren't helping your friend buy a new house," Robin adds, raising his eyebrow.

"I feel like we should take a weekend together. Maybe a bed and breakfast in Vermont or a nice little cabin somewhere…" Regina says thoughtfully.

"Maybe scratch the last one," Robin mutters, thinking of Emma's imprisonment in such a place.

"Yes, but we should take the time to get to know each other a little more,"

"I agree," he says, kissing her cheek.

"Let's set this aside for right now and worry about the present situation," she suggests, hearing Henry coming up the stairs. She knows the last thing the teenager wants is PDA in his new house.

"ROBIN!" A voice hollers from downstairs.

"What?" he rolls his eyes.

"Where would you put Killian's underwear and stuff, mate?"

"Where do you think they would go?" Robin groans, marvelling at the incompetence of his roommate. He knows Killian is likely mortally embarrassed as well.

"Right, but where would you put them if the box broke and they're all over the front path?"

"Lord please give me strength not to strangle him," Robin grumbles. Regina snickers before the two break their embrace and go to help.

…

With very few misadventures with Will, soon the entire truck is unpacked. Emma orders pizza for everyone as a way of saying thank you and they all sit in the crowded living room amongst the boxes and other materials.

Mary Margret and David present Emma with a home warming present. A custom-made doormat that said **_The Swans_** on it. She smiles brightly, tears on the edge of her eyes.

She sits near the flickering fire, looking at the faces, both old and new. The faces of people who cared for her and were truly the family she always wanted. She clears her throat and picks up her soda can to make a sort of toast. "I want to thank you all for helping," she says, tears filling her eyes. "Without you, none of this would have ever been possible. And thank you for your support and acceptance for the way I've been acting lately. Also, I can't put into words how much it means to me for what you did while I was gone. The hours of work, the courage and determination and for taking care of Henry…" she pauses to wipe her face. "And for never giving up on me…" She pauses again. "You know, growing up I always thought that I was destined to be alone. I felt like nobody was meant to care for me. I never thought I would ever have a family to call my own, to have people who care about me, the way you guys do. I guess I imagined that my parents would be the king and queen of some far away land and they would take me away from the hellish life I was leading. And I suppose relied on the system too much to pick one for me, but it seems that I found one all on my own. We may not be perfect, but I know I can trust you and to always have my back as this family gets a little bit bigger." She places a hand on her stomach. "I will always be there for you too…" She lays her head on Killian's shoulder and everyone smiles, some others close to tears as well. "You're the best family I could ever ask for. Thank you so much for everything… to our family."

"To our family," everyone mutters, toasting their sodas and slices of pizza.

Then the group goes on to chat next to the roaring fire as evening fades into night.

However, unbeknownst to them, a shadowed figure is watching the happy moment, with much anger and disdain. He then slowly turns away and walks through the backyard and over the white picket fence. He's not worried about whether his footprints will be seen because snow begins to fall again as he leaves, covering his tracks. He walks down the street behind the house, temporarily vanishing into the night.

 _Another time jump in the next few chapters. Keep it coming with baby names, I still haven't decided yet on the girl's name. I may end up using some of the unused suggestions in a chapter._


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"I still think that name is the best," Henry says, lugging more paint cans upstairs.

Three weeks later, Emma's "family" is hard at work trying to get different parts of the house painted. Almost all the furniture was in place, clothes in the closet and drawers, all of which was now covered in tarps and newspaper, but the walls were off limits until they had a fresh coat of paint. Henry was slightly upset about this because he wanted to hang up his posters and other pictures soon. But once he got to pick the colour for his own room, he was happy and wanted it to be done as soon as possible. Emma and Killian start with the nursery, which is empty now, perfect for painting before they add the furniture. After that, Mary Margret insists on going on another baby shopping trip to pick out at least the necessities including a crib, a rocking chair, and a changing table. The rest would be given to the new mother at the surprise baby shower the teacher was planning.

Everyone had divided into teams to get the painting done. Henry, Regina, and Robin would do his room and the guest room, David and Mary Margret could do the hallway and the bathrooms, Lacey, Aurora and Mey Ling were doing the wall behind the stairwell and front hall, Emma, Killian, and Ruby the master bedroom and the nursery. As for the rest of the first level of the house… that could be a project for another day.

While the teams worked on their designated projects, they discussed loudly on potential baby names for the coming offspring.

"Why not just name the baby Ruby?" the dyed haired friend asks. The art major is hard at work stenciling designs on the wall. Emma and Killian decided on two colours for the nursery; a soft pink for the lower part of the walls and a more peach/cream colouring for above. They planned to add a border to separate the two colours. "By the way, do you want butterflies down here or up higher."

"Higher and thank you for the suggestion Ruby, but we'd rather give the baby her own unique name rather than name her after one of our friends," the blonde explains, painting the upper half of the wall by the closet.

"How about a mother then?" Ruby asks.

Emma turns red and shoots Ruby a glare. "I never knew my mother, remember?"

"O-Oh right, but what about Killian's?"

"My mother's name was Charlotte Jones," the docks man says, carefully painting around the window.

"I like that," Aurora calls from down the hall. "Charlotte Swan…"

"Keep in mind she will likely be called Charlie or Char as well," Lacey points out, coming into the nursery room to grab more paint brushes.

"What about after my mother, Eva?" Mary Margret calls out.

"That's okay," Regina says. "Better than Cora after mine."

"I thought we were saving that name for our baby?" David is heard saying.

"I'm just suggesting it, David," his wife smirks, pouring more paint into a tray for him.

"Yeah, it's not like you have dibs on names anyway," Henry adds.

"Plus, one baby is enough right now," Mary Margret adds.

"What about Lucy, Lexie, Lilla, Lily or Layla?" Lacey suggests.

"Going a little heavy on the L's there aren't you, Love?" Killian asks.

"It could be worse. It could be a name like Ruth, Harriet, Elizabeth, or Martha."

"Those are very old-fashioned names," Emma points out, stepping down from the ladder.

"That was my mother's name," David calls out. "My father used to call her Ruthie for fun…"

Everyone frowns slightly, as nice as the name was, it didn't suit a newborn.

"What about Kathleen?" Mey Ling suggests. "Or perhaps Claire. Or even Ellie?"

"If you want something really unique what about Octavia, Harlynn, Rosella or Odette?" Ruby asks.

"Like after the Swan Princess character?" Emma asks.

"Yeah,"

"No offense but I don't think Emma wants her child to be beaten to death in the schoolyard," Regina says sarcastically. "She probably doesn't want her daughter to have the nickname Octie, or be associated with Harley Quinn or Rose as in the _Titanic_ movie or be called Odie…"

"Beats being named North West," Ruby points out.

"Or Blue Ivy." Mey Ling adds.

"And I can speak for myself thank your Regina," Emma says, having to sit down to rest. "I always thought Mackenzie was nice or Harper…"

"As in the former Canadian Prime Minister?" Lacey calls out.

"And if she has a loud and high-pitched scream, you can call her Harpie for short," Ruby jokes.

Emma glares at her friend and begins to stir some more paint while sitting down for a quick rest.

"Laura?" Robin asks. "Or maybe Jodelle or Alison, those were the names Marian and I were tossing around for Roland before he was born."

"Bianca?" Regina asks. "Nicole, Ashley, Chloe or Madison?"

"Those are used too often," Emma says.

"Who knew picking baby names would be so hard?" David groans.

"Aye, if it was a boy the only real option would be Liam," Killian says.

Emma nods before kissing Killian on the cheek. "Nothing would make me happier than to honour your brother." She then wipes a glob of paint from his cheek.

"If you go, French, it could be Collette."

"What about Kyra?"

"Maria?"

"Crystal?"

"Molly?"

"Riley or Jessica?"

"Leah?"

"Tori?"

"Alexandra?"

"Dana?"

"Bridgette?"

"Jolene"

"Halley?"

"Tara?"

"Melissa?"

"Hannah?"

"Emily?"

"Adriana?"

"Kelly?"

"Amelia?"

"Vivia?"

"Leia?"

Everyone snickers at each other at the space princess's name.

"What about Carrie?"

"As in the horror novel?" Lacey asks.

Emma sighs and rubs her head. She never thought that picking a name for their daughter would be so difficult. Then again, she never expected to get pregnant like this… so soon that is. She wanted the perfect name for the little one kicking under her paint-splattered shirt. She rubs her hand on the place where the Jane Doe and applies some pressure there to respond to the baby's movements. She can literally count the little toes she felt on her hand. The baby was moving less and less each day as her stomach grew to accommodate her. She was definitely going to be much bigger than Henry, and heavier too.

"Not as much room to move around huh?" she whispers to her little one.

"I still think my name is the best," Henry repeats loudly as he holds the bucket of paint up for Robin to reach the higher parts of the wall from the ladder. "It just suits my unborn baby sister…"

"What was it again Henry?" Mary Margret asks.

"Sophie."

 _A/N: Okay see if you can find your name suggestions here. I took them from Turn for the Worst and from this story. Let me know if you have any other suggestions. I'm still not clear on the name yet, but it seems that everyone wants a version of Sophie. If you have any other ideas, let me know in the reviews. Also expect a baby shower and more drama very soon._


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

 _Another time jump here. It's late April now and there are still a few surprises in store before I bring the baby girl into the world._

"Will you please tell me where we're going?" Emma groans. She has a blindfold over eyes as she's being led by her best friend down the street.

...

The family had just finished a session with Dr. Hopper when Mary Margret met them outside the office. She gleefully winked at Killian and Henry before putting a blindfold over the pregnant mother's eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma had asked, as Mary gently pushed her friend into the front seat of the car and climbed into the driver's side.

"It's a surprise," the teacher had said, deciding not to use the word "kidnapping." She turns to the two men, she leans out the window.

"David's down the street with Jacob and the truck. Go have some fun," she whispers. Everything was planned perfectly. While the ladies did their own thing, the men were going to go down by the docks and go fishing. The warm spring weather meant a perfect day for such activities and it kept the men away for a few hours.

"Can I at least say goodbye to my son?" Emma sighed. She wasn't sure what her friend was planning, but she knew it was hopefully going to be fun, as long as it wasn't complete torture.

"I'll be fine Mom," Henry said, going around the side to kiss her through the open window. "Go have fun."

"I don't know if I call this fun," Emma muttered. She's hiding the fact that she hates blindfolds now after she spent more than a few days in such a position in the trunk of a car.

"The lad will be safe with me," Killian added. "Now enjoy your day." He leans down and kisses her lips. Emma, with the blindfold still on, tries to memorize the taste of his lips, knowing it will a long day before she felt them again.

"I love you both," Emma said before the car pulled off from in front of Dr. Hopper's office.

...

"I'm sorry Emma, it'll spoil the surprise. "Mary Margret insists as she stops at a stop light.

"This better not be what I think it is…" Emma groans. She puts her hand on her very swollen belly. She was less than a month from popping this kid out and the sooner the better. She couldn't sleep very well anymore because she had to sleep on her back, her feet were swollen beyond belief, she was sweaty and hot all the time and she was having more mood swings. Her hormones were driving her crazy and with the trauma of what she'd endured, she was more aggressive than before. She ended up picking fights with Killian more and more, making her feel guilty and she tended to snap at Henry at the slightest mistake. Dr. Hopper talked to the family about this situation and told them not to worry. As long as Killian and Henry didn't forget what she was going through and that they all said sorry afterward, everything would be fine. They just needed to talk through how they were feeling and then come up with solutions to cope with the imminent birth.

Mary Margret gives a small giggle before pulling up at the location.

"We're here…" she says. "You can take it off now."

Emma removes the blindfold and sees that they are at a large luxury spa.

"I think I want to put it back on," she mutters sarcastically.

"Emma, trust me you need this. Regina took me to one a couple of weeks before I had Jacob and it made a world of difference. It also kept our minds off of what was going on at the time."

The blonde swallows and just nods.

"Plus, this will be the last girl's night we have for a little while…"

"Please don't remind me."

"Well, let's go then."

She knew how much her back hurt and maybe a massage would do her some good.

"Okay," she sighs, knowing that her friend was right.

…

Over the next few hours, Mary Margret and Emma have a fantastic spa day. They get manicures and pedicures as well as facials and have a warm mud bath. Emma has several back and foot massages, taking all the stress from her body and allowing her to feel some relief from everything. She managed to forget the ordeals that still haunted her every day and the fact that she's about to become a mother again. The masseuse even knew a way to massage her belly to relax the baby inside. She'd never felt so much at peace in a long time.

When the women are done, they feel refreshed and so much at ease that Mary Margret almost crashes the car from falling asleep.

Eventually, the two make it back to Emma's house. Once they stop, Emma turns to her best friend.

"I can't thank you enough…" she says. "And I'm sorry about my attitude before."

"It's okay Emma, I know what it's like to be pregnant."

"It's not just that," the blonde says, her eyes filling with tears. "For everything you've done. Your constant support and hope, the love you've given me… I couldn't ask for a better friend than you. I love you so much."

Mary Margret is following suit with the tears. "I love you too Emma, and I will always be here for you."

The two embrace for a long time before getting out of the car.

"You know you don't have to walk me to the door," the blonde says. "I can still walk and I…"

"SURPRISE!"

Emma nearly jumps out of her skin when she sees that her house has been decorated and all her friends are there smiling. There are pink balloons and streamers everywhere, there's a buffet of food on the dining room table and a large pile of presents sits in the living room. Lacey holds her camera and begins snapping pictures She couldn't believe that they had thrown her a baby shower. She looks over at her best friend.

"Did you plan all this?" she asks.

"Maybe," the teacher smirks.

Everyone surrounds Emma with hugs and happy words.

"I'm so happy for you," Elsa says.

"You're glowing," Regina says.

"You look so beautiful," Ruby adds. "You don't look that fat…"

Emma rolls her eyes.

"It's so great how far you've come," Anna says, still clinging to Emma's arm.

"I hope you don't mind the pictures," Lacey adds.

"It's going to get even better after this," Aurora practically sings.

The pregnant woman is so overwhelmed that she doesn't even listen to the words, they all blend together. It doesn't matter either way. They are all words of love… words of support and hope for a brighter future. Words of the family that she'd always wanted.

The group of women bring Emma over and the party begins. Every one of her friends is there including Regina, Ruby, Elsa, Anna, Aurora, Mey Ling, Lacey, Mary Margret and even Granny is there to provide food and some of the entertainment.

The party starts off with a few silly games. One is known as _Baby's First Portrait_ where everyone gathers in a circle and those who are not pregnant are given an index card and a marker. In 60 seconds, the women must put the card to their forehead and "draw" what they think the baby will look like, then Emma would have to pick the best. Most ended up being completely unrecognizable, but the mother-to-be chose Ruby's because she was the best artist, even if she couldn't see what she was drawing. They did some artsy activities including writing funny quotes on diapers and decorating onesies. There were a few other games to play including _Guess What's in the Bag_ , where the women had to guess what was in the diaper bag without looking, the one who guessed the most correctly won and writing a list of what their wishes would be for the coming baby. They all ended up laughing and not caring who won in the end.

Afterwards, everyone ate the assortment of foods available, including grilled cheese and onion rings from the restaurant, Emma's absolute favourites. There were fruits, vegetables, chips, pretzels and sweets, almost all of them being chocolate. Emma had to literally fight Anna to get some of her cravings under control.

Then it was time for presents. Everyone bought Emma something that she would need or want. Elsa bought Emma several icy teething rings and a set of CDs containing lullabies. Lacey gave her a set of books that were perfect for reading to the little one and another stuffed lamb, this one with a pink ribbon tied around its neck. Mey Ling bought a little hockey jersey for the baby and several soothers. Anna presented her friend with a multitude of stuffed animals, one that looked like a reindeer and another a snowman. Aurora gave the mother-to-be a set of baby monitors and several sets of bottles that were different colours.

"Trust me, it'll be easy to tell which is a night bottle and which is a day."

Granny bequeathed a hand knitted blanket to the baby, one that was not unlike the one Emma had kept since she was a baby. It would have the baby's name stitched on it when she was born. Ruby gave some very cute outfits for her to dress the baby in and an ABC book which she illustrated herself. Regina gave her friend a baby book to capture the precious memories, a bassinette and a framed picture of her, Killian and Henry to hang in the baby's room.

"So, she'll always have her family there,"

"Thank you, Regina," Emma says. She had not stopped crying the entire time, mostly because of the hormones, but also by how touched she was by everyone's generosity.

There were gifts from some of the men too. August gave the baby a little raincoat and boots for when she was older as well as a handcrafted toy chest, courtesy of his father the carpenter. Robin gave a set of toys and a very functional diaper bag. Several other presents came from friends at work, including Leroy, who sent some baby booties and other friends who couldn't make it sent gift cards.

When Emma reached for another package, she found a card with it. Her heart pounded as she opened it and recognized the handwriting.

 _I hope Baby Jones/Swan enjoys this as much as Henry did._

Emma opens the package and finds the music box that used to belong to Henry. It was decorated with stars on the front and when someone opened it, it plays _All Through the Night_ while a silver moon spun around in the centre. It was Henry's favourite song when he was young and for a long time could only fall asleep when it was playing. She couldn't believe that Neal still had this, she thought it was lost during one of their many moves, but that was not the case.

She let the tears fall freely as she listened to the beautiful song several times. Everyone had gone fairly quiet to listen to it.

The next presents were from David and Mary Margret. Both were quite big and heavy to hold. When Emma opens the first one, she gasps. It's the mobile of glass unicorns that she'd been looking at in the store so long ago. The little ornaments glitter in the afternoon sun.

"Oh, Mary…" Emma says, very speechless.

"I knew you wanted it when you kept coming back to it at the store," she says, leaning over to give her best friend a hug.

"It's so beautiful," the blonde whispers. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

The second present from the Nolan's was a small rocking horse, painted white and looked like a true work of art.

"David's mother made it," Mary Margret explains. "She made one for Jacob when he was born."

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," the pregnant woman whispers.

The two friends embrace for a long time.

The final present was from Killian. When she rips off the wrapping, she finds a hand-carved sailing ship, complete with a pink mast and a small starfish as the figurehead. There was also a blue velvet box with a necklace made of silver with a locket shaped like a heart on the end of it and a note.

 _I had a little help from August's father with the ship, but the necklace once belonged to my mother. She said she felt beautiful when she put it on. So always wore it so she would feel that way all the time. I managed to keep it after all these years. I want our little girl to wear it so she will feel beautiful and have that connection to her grandmother._

Emma sniffled a bit and smiled widely at the beautiful gift. She then hangs the chain around her belly to make it seem like their little girl was wearing it.

The final thing in the package was a teddy bear that looked a bit worn and part of its nose was missing. It had a big bow wrapped around its neck and there was another note.

 _This belonged to Liam and then he gave it to me when I was born. Always kept me safe and went everywhere with us. Hope he can have a new set of adventures with her._

Emma can't stop smiling and she wipes away the tears. She places the teddy bear on her lap, knowing that Liam would be happy to give it to his niece.

"Thank you, everyone," Emma says loudly. "This means so much to me."

"You're welcome Emma, we're happy to share this day with you, now let's have cake."

The women gathered around the cake that was shaped like pink baby booties and everyone mingled and talked for what seemed like hours.

Regina is helping clean up the present stuff when she sees her sister walk through the front door. Not wanting Emma to see her, she stands in Zelena's way from approaching the guest of honour. She notices that her sister is not in her usual slutty attire and high heels. Instead, she wears a coat that covers her completely and is wearing sensible shoes. She also looked bigger than the last time she'd ever laid eyes on this woman,

"What are you doing here?" the brunette says angrily.

"Well hello to you too sister dear," the red-head says. "I came to see Emma and give her a gift."

"I don't think she'll want to see you after all the stuff you pulled with the house and Robin."

"Water under the bridge now. Nice party. So when are you going to throw me a baby shower, Sis?" Zelena smirked.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"What the hell are you talking about Zelena?" Regina demands.

"Well considering that I am the only one in this family who can get pregnant now I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate such good news."

Regina shakes her head to try and comprehend what her half-sister just said. "Stop bragging about yourself and find the door. Emma doesn't need stressful situations just before she gives birth."

"Noted Sis, I now know what to avoid when I get to that stage."

The brunette's head is still scrambled. She's trying to decipher what Zelena is implying, she just didn't want to believe it… she needed more proof.

"Why do you keep talking like that?"

Zelena rolls her eyes. "I'm trying to tell you that I'm pregnant you idiot." She then hands over a black and white sonogram picture of an indistinguishable shape.

Regina needs to grab the table as she nearly passes out at this news. Her eyes are filling with tears, tears of jealousy mostly. Her bitch of a sister finally did the one thing that she never could do, bring new life into the world. It made her angry, but also very confused, Zelena was the last person one would expect to get pregnant, or better yet want to be pregnant. She was a very busy lawyer and never had a relationship that lasted longer than a weekend. She blinks very hard at the picture that the red-head is holding up. It was a sonogram picture no doubt…

"W-What… h-how…how… hell…"

"I knew you'd be surprised," Zelena chirps happily. Some of the guests have now noticed the uninvited guest, including Emma, who approaches the lawyer first.

"Hi…Zelena," the pregnant mother says. "What a surprise…"

"It is, isn't it?" she smirks. "You know, it really isn't a party without me you know."

"It doesn't stay a party with you," Ruby mutters and Emma stomps on her friend's foot to shut her up.

"I guess so," Emma says, not really sure how she wants to react to the party crasher. After what the lawyer had done to break up Regina and Robin by blackmailing her sister and holding the house that she and Killian were going to buy "hostage" no one had spoken, much less wanted to see her since then She had been nothing but mean to them and didn't even offer to help with moving in, so she was slowly being squeezed out of the circle of friends. Plus, with the way she was insulting everyone at the baby store, the further everyone stayed away from the red-head, that happier they were overall.

"Oh Emma, you've gotten so big," Zelena says, walking over and putting her hands on the blonde's belly. Her green painted nails run along her maternity shirt and her hands are ice cold, sending a chill up Emma's spine. The expectant mother takes a step back, out of the woman's reach and into the supportive arms of her best friend. "Won't be long now. Have we come up with a name yet?"

"Why should you care?" Ruby glares at her. "It's not like you were here to help us when we were discussing it."

"I was very busy, I've been working non-stop on some very high-profile cases, I barely have time to sleep anymore."

"But you seem to have enough of it to let some guy knock you up," Ruby snaps back.

Everyone's eyes go wide and several gasps escape their lips. Lacey swallows an uncomfortable lump in her throat, while Anna and Ruby stare at Zelena suspiciously. Mey Ling shrinks into the shadows away from everything, while Mary Margret and Aurora cling to Emma's arms to provide her with some support.

There is a long silence as no one speaks.

"What? No congratulations?" Zelena asks in a whiny voice.

"You didn't exactly congratulate Emma when she became pregnant, nor myself either," Mary Margret says bravely.

"Well, I didn't exactly see Emma when she became pregnant. She was off in the hands of another man. Are you sure it's the docks man with the eyeliner? I'd say Arthur King would've been the better choice."

Emma swallows her anger as much as possible. If looks could kill, Zelena would be dead on the living room floor. Her hands clasp into tight fists, she bites her tongue hard, and her hormones send her emotions off the deep end. Mary Margret and Aurora tighten their grasp on their friend, trying to make sure she didn't do something she'd regret.

"Then you can go marry him!" Anna snaps.

"I can't, what man would have me now that I'm damaged goods?"

"Your good were damaged long before anyone could touch them," Regina adds, still trying to recover from the shock.

"Subtle Sis, and how many men have been unable to touch yours because of what happened with your first boyfriend."

Regina squeezes the edge of the table, trying to say a mantra in her head, something to keep her from strangling her wicked sister.

 _She got it from Mom. She got it from Mom,_ she says over and over.

"Why don't you take your broom and go fly back to Oz where you belong?!" Ruby snarls.

"Want to come with me, I'm sure you'd love to f*** all my flying monkeys… all the female ones at least"

Ruby's temper flares the highest it's ever been. She storms towards the evil woman, intent on beating the snot out of her prissy nose, but Granny steps in just in time, grabbing her granddaughter by the arm. The dyed hair woman begins to fight the grip, trying to elbow her grandmother so she could have a shot at the chance to rip out a chunk of Zelena's red-hair.

"Don't do it, Ruby…" Granny says sternly. "It may look like fun, but she's not worth it."

"Let go of me, she deserves what's coming to her!"

"You wouldn't hit a pregnant woman, now would you?" the red-head smirks.

"You'd be surprised how low my standards are," Ruby snaps.

"Just like your taste in men and women…"

"Get the hell out of my house!" Emma barks, having enough of this.

"Why Emma…? How could you say such a thing, I thought we were friends?"

Emma gives off a snort of derision. "That friendship ended the moment you tried to force your sister to break up with her boyfriend and tried to buy my house. You expect people to just automatically like you when really, you're a vain, self-centred bitch with mommy issues! No one wants you around because you're cruel and evil in every way. I don't want my baby anywhere near you. And I feel sorry for whoever you tricked into knocking you up and I feel bad for the baby inside you that has such a witch for a mother. You show up here and ruin my baby shower by upstaging me and insulting my family. Get out and don't ever come back!"

Zelena looks genuinely surprised by Emma's outburst and a little hurt. The words spoken by her former friend stung, more than she anticipated. She knows that everyone is going to be on the pregnant woman's side and decides to leave with what dignity she has left.

"Very well," she says, she straightens her blouse and walks towards the door.

"And take your spawn sonogram with you…" Ruby shouts.

"No, you can keep it, I figured Regina would want to show it to Robin, considering it's the only glimpse he'll get of his baby…"

She then slams the door shut behind her.

 _Zelena has a serious acid tongue. (and sorry for the swearing that the anti-lesbian comment said to Ruby) I hate her a lot and this just about proves it. Sorry to those who didn't want this to happen._


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Everyone stands in complete silence, some looking at Regina and some looking at the sonogram photo that now lays on the ground. Emma immediately tries to go to her friend, to provide some comfort. She reaches out to grab the brunette's hand, but Regina rips it from her grasp.

"Don't touch me!" she insists.

"Regina, don't believe what she said, she probably just made the whole thing up to piss you off…"

But, the real-estate agent doesn't seem to hear her friend as her brown eyes continue to stare at the ground, at the picture of the child inside her sister. In her mind, she's doing the math. It'd been almost two months since the whole fiasco with Zelena had happened and that she'd been forced to break up with Robin. Her stomach turns violently, thinking about why Zelena wanted her away from Robin. The half-sister could've asked for money or something expensive as a bribe, but instead insisted on separation and why…

Her heart rams against her chest in fear and anger. That can't mean… there were several hours, close to a day where she'd lost track of Robin, could that mean? Why didn't he tell her?!

"It's real, Emma, she's not stick skinny anymore," Mary Margret says quietly. "You and I should both know."

Aurora nods in agreement. Everyone looks at Regina, who has tears dancing on the edge of her eyes.

"But it can't be Robin's!" Elsa insists. "You two only broke up for a couple of hours…"

"A couple of hours is all she'd need Elsa," Ruby swallows, regretting her words immediately.

Regina looks very hurt and confused. Emma again tries to offer comfort, but this causes the brunette to snap.

"Stay away from me!" she snarls.

"Regina, calm down," Mary Margret says firmly. "This is exactly what Zelena wants, to get under your skin."

"Well, she succeeded. All she's done is try to ruin my life and I think at this point she's done the one thing I can't…"

"Regina, we know you're upset, but…" Emma begins.

"But nothing! At least you get to carry a baby, while I can't even give my boyfriend that…"

"He doesn't want another baby though…" Mary Margret insists.

"How the hell would you know that?!" Regina barks. She grabs the sonogram photo from the ground and storms out of the house, slamming the door in the same way that her sister did a few minutes earlier. She leaves her friends stunned and heartbroken for her. What a way to end a baby shower.

…

Regina pulls up in front of his apartment complex and gets out, leaving her car running because she knows this will not take very long. She fumes up the stairs and pounds on the apartment door.

Will opens the door, standing with a Coke bottle in one hand and wearing only boxer shorts. He looks very surprised and then scared when he sees how angry she looks.

"Wow, an angry woman at the door is usually what happens to me…"

"CUT THE CLOWNING, where's your roommate?!"

Will swallows and takes a step back.

"Uh… Rob…"

"What now Will?"

"Your girlfriend is here and she's pissed to high hell,"

Robin comes around the corner into her view and he becomes very uncomfortable. Regina pushes past the roommate, right into the apartment without a second thought. She walks right up to him and slaps him across the face. He steps back in shock, holding his face.

"You son of a bitch," she screeches.

This is when the tears begin to fall down her face. Regina looks at the handsome man she'd been lucky enough to meet, his blue eyes and chiselled chin… his humble demeanour and sweet personality. Everything that she loved about him has just come crashing down, burying her in a pile of pain and anger.

Will looks absolutely embarrassed and afraid. He takes the moment to escape.

"Well, this is clearly your problem, I'm just gonna… yeah…" he slips out the front door of the apartment, not even caring that he's in his boxer shorts.

"Regina, what happened? What's wrong?"

"Don't ask me what's wrong…! This is what's wrong…" she holds up the sonogram picture.

"What is that?"

"A picture of your unborn child."

"What?! Marian isn't pregnant again…"

"Not Marian…" Regina swallows hard before continuing to look at her traitorous boyfriend. "My slut of a sister!"

"Zelena?"

"YES ZELENA! UNLESS YOU'VE BEEN SLEEPING WITH OTHER WOMEN AS WELL?"

"What? N-No I… how?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN **_HOW_**?! HOW DO YOU THINK BABIES ARE CONCEIVED?"

"We didn't even…"

"Have sex, well she seems to think you did, so unless she's lying… Is she lying Robin?"

Robin becomes very afraid and his stomach turns in guilt. He knew that night would come back to bite him in the ass, and it did in the worst way possible. His eyes fill with tears and he scratches the back of his neck, looking into his beloved's eyes.

"She…she's not lying," he admits.

Regina's face turns a very bright red and more tears stream down her face. She finds the nearest pile of stuff and kicks it with all her might. She then grabs the closest thing she can find as a weapon, an umbrella and basically attacks him with it. She hits him as many times as she can, to make him feel the kind of pain she's in. She shouts obscenities at him as she strikes.

"R-Regina…" he gasps, trying to avoid being stabbed by the umbrella or hurt any further.

He grabs the makeshift weapon and tries to wrestle it from her.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she cries out, still fighting for control of her weapon.

"Regina please, I was so drunk and she must've tricked me."

"Right because intoxication always helps with that."

"I don't even remember what happened. I…I…"

"You what?! Thought she was better than me?"

"NO! Of course not, she… she set me up…"

"And obviously you didn't use protection!"

"I wasn't thinking clearly."

"But you must've been when I came back to you, saying to forget everything and that we could be together again!"

Robin's stomach lurches again, he knew he should've told her the truth at once after they got back together. He'd made the promise of no secrets between them and yet he'd kept this one. He assumed that if he never saw the wretched woman again, it would fade away into obscurity. Just a drunken mistake, but clearly this was not going to go away so easily.

"I-I know I should've told you… I'm so sorry Regina…"

"Sorry can't do anything now," she spits angrily. Her heart is literally breaking in two. The pain she felt was unlike anything she'd felt before, even during her divorces and after the death of Daniel. She really thought that he was the one for her, that he could make her forget everything that transpired in her life, the failed relationships, and the reality of never having a family. But, he's as treacherous as her sister. She can't stand to look at him any longer. She was destined to be alone. She turns to leave.

"Regina, please… It was a mistake," Robin says. He literally goes on his knees, grabbing her hand. "I'm so sorry. I love you."

At the proclamation of love, she stops for just a moment. She loved him too, it was clear, which is why it hurt so much from this betrayal. She looks into his eyes, becoming lost in them again. She wants nothing more than to pull him into her arms and never let go. But then she feels the picture in her hand. The sonogram photo of his and Zelena's baby

"Well, this mistake is a lot bigger now. Two months bigger." She tosses the picture onto the floor, pulls her hand from his grasp. "I never want to see you again!" she says before slamming the apartment door.

She goes down to her car and drives away as fast as she can, so he won't try and follow her.

Robin remains on the floor of the apartment, his own heart breaking. He stares at the photo of the tiny baby in front of him. His tears sting his eyes.

"What have I done?" he moans.

He picks up the photo for a moment and then tries to go pursue Regina. He goes past Will, who's passed out on the hall floor, clearly trying to listen to their conversation and also clearly drunk. He races down the stairs and goes out to the parking lot, only to see her car pull away. He runs his hand through his hair and kneels on the pavement again, wanting more than anything to turn back the clock.

 _A/N; A heartbreaking chapter. Some parts of the breakup are reminiscent of Ross and Rachel's breakup, where a friend is caught in an awkward situation and the female attacking the male in anger._


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Regina please open the door," a comforting voice calls, knocking on the distraught woman's door.

"GO AWAY!" is the response.

"Please, Regina we just want to see you. Make sure you're all right," another says.

"I'm fine, now go away!"

Regina lays on the couch in her pajamas; her mop of black hair unsightly, her cheeks stained, a pillow against her stomach, wadded tissues carpeting the floor, a tub of melted ice cream on the coffee table, re-runs of _Heartland_ on the TV and a bottle of wine clutched in her one hand. She doesn't want to see anyone. It's been two days since she yelled at Robin and broke up with him and she never wants to leave her apartment again. Why does it seem like she's always the one who loses? No matter what she does, she always ends up broken-hearted. She can't catch a break no matter what she does. Zelena says that Regina always got exactly what she wanted, but one thing… love.

Suddenly, the door opens. Regina sits up abruptly as Emma and Mary Margret enter her trashed apartment.

"How did you get in? The door was locked?"

"You learn things when you grow up the streets," Emma says.

"Well go back out there," the brunette says, throwing her pillow at her friends. It merely hits the pregnant Emma in the leg and lands on the floor. The blonde feels a sharp pain go through her as she bends over to pick up the pillow. Regina goes back to watching the TV.

Mary Margret immediately goes towards her friend and uses the remote to turn off the TV.

"What the hell?"

"Regina, we need to talk," the teacher insists sternly.

"No, we don't," the broken-hearted woman says. She attempts to grab the remote, but Mary Margret keeps it out of her reach.

"Regina we're worried about you. We tried calling you so many times," Emma says.

"My phone is at the bottom of my toilet bowl," the real-estate agent says, turning away from her friends again.

Emma goes around the couch and sits on the opposite end, ignoring the movement of the baby. Her stomach was turning slightly, but she ignored it for the sake of comforting her friend. She places her hand on her friend's leg.

"Regina, we know you're hurting right now…"

"No hurting is when you scrape your knee on the sidewalk or someone forgets your birthday, this is…" Tears flood her eyes again. It's amazing she still has fluid in her body, one would think she'd cried herself dry over the past two days. She clings to another pillow and refuses to look at anyone.

"Devastating…?" Mary Margret suggests, taking a seat in a chair next to the couch.

"Wounding, damaging, heart-breaking, upsetting, like someone ripped your heart out of your chest and stomped on it?" Emma suggests.

"All of the above," Regina mutters.

"We know how that feels…" Mary Margret says sympathetically.

"How? How could you possibly know? You're married to your Prince Charming, you have a beautiful son and a place to call your own. While Emma has a son, a new home, the man of her dreams and another baby on the way! Meanwhile, I'm the spinster who can't keep a man for more than two years and is destined to be alone…" she sobs.

"You're not destined to be alone," Mary Margret says comfortingly.

"And you seriously don't think we know what it's like?" Emma says in frustration."I was in love with a man for more than ten years. He asked me to marry him and I thought we'd grow old together, but then he upped and left, leaving me with my son and nothing else… It felt like a huge hole was punched through my chest and I just kept bleeding and bleeding, nothing could stop it."

"And unbelievably, I did date someone before David."

Regina looks at the raven-haired teacher with shock. Emma looks at her best friend, equally surprised.

"His name was Thomas. We met in high school…" she swallows hard. "I fell head over heels in love with him, I thought he was my soul mate. I did everything I could to make him happy, we were inseparable. He let me love him… We dated all the way until we graduated. We tried to have a long-distance relationship, but we were drifting apart. The problem was, I was so blinded by love that I didn't see what was right in front of me. I decided to surprise him one weekend by driving to his campus. It was pouring rain outside and I came in a red raincoat. I was going to knock on his door, b-but I saw that it was open… I g-go in and…"

Mary Margret bursts into tears. Emma and Regina immediately rush to her side, putting their arms around her. They sit in silence for a long time, waiting for the poor woman to recover, reliving a very painful moment in her life… The short-haired woman gasps several times and wipes the tears from her eyes. She tries to smile at her friends, but it does little to mask her pain.

"I found him in the arms of another woman… Her name was A-Ashley, w-we used to go to high school together and then it all became clear to me… I f-felt like such an idiot. I screamed at him before ripping off the necklace he'd given me. I drove away and never saw him again. Just as well, he never once tried to contact me to apologize."

"Oh my god Mary," Emma says. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because it was so embarrassing. I was nothing but a love-sick puppy, blind to what was painfully obvious."

"Love makes us do crazy things," Regina says. "One time I bought my first husband and $2,500 watch for Valentine's Day. He gave me a bottle of nail polish. Six weeks later, he served me with divorce papers."

"Oh Regina," Mary says, putting her arm around the heart-broken woman.

"You think that's stupid, one time I decided to take up ballroom dancing with Neal," Emma says.

"And how did that go?"

"Six ripped dresses and pound of sweat later, neither of us could waltz. It still takes a lot of vodkas just for me to think about it."

The trio smile at one another.

"One time, when David and I were dating, I decided to recreate the _Say Anything_ boombox scene outside the station."

"What happened?"

"I didn't know how the loud the speakers were and I nearly got arrested for public disturbance," Mary says, turning red. "Plus after that, it rained and the boombox exploded…"

"Oh my god," Regina says, laughing a little bit.

"It would've been arson as well if David hadn't explained everything to the police officers."

The three women laugh a little.

"I once took my second husband to _Six Flags_ for a day trip and he dared me to eat six churros in one go…"

"Oh…" Emma says, laughing a little. She shifts a little to get rid of the pain on her left side.

"Then it was his brilliant idea to go on the rollercoaster with the most loops. Let's just say everything came back up before the second loop, on his shoes."

All of them burst out laughing. They hold onto each tightly, sharing more embarrassing stories about what they'd done with their past boyfriends. How love was such a funny thing and you'd do things that you weren't exactly proud of.

They take the time to talk a little bit more, discussing their feelings and eating a discarded bag of pretzels between the three of them.

Around this time, Emma winces slightly. She tries to shift into a more comfortable position on the couch. Her stomach doesn't seem to agree with the salty snack. She gets up to walk around a little bit and grab a bottle of water from the fridge. Her stomach lurches violently.

"Regina do you have antacids?" the blonde asks.

"Yeah, in the medicine cabinet."

"Thanks,"

Emma walks down the hall to the bathroom. She sees a few wet towels and more wadded tissues as well as a broken toothbrush holder, obviously a victim of Regina's break-up rage. She goes for the medicine cabinet behind the mirror. She's twisting the top of the bottle...

Just then a shock of indescribable rips through her body. Pills go flying everywhere as Emma's knees buckle and she becomes light-headed. She clings to sink and holds her stomach tightly. She lets out a cry of pain and she feels something wet. She looks down to see the puddle of fluid gathering at her feet.

"Oh my god!" she gasps loudly.

"Emma, are you okay?" Mary Margret asks.

"My water just broke!"

 _A/N Thank you for being so patient. It's finally time! Last chance for names_


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Emma can't believe how quickly her friends are at her side, giving her support. Each of them grabs one of her hands and they guide her towards the door of the apartment.

"Just take deep breaths," Regina informs her. She fumbles to get her spring coat pulled on over her pajamas and find her car keys. "You help bring her down, I'll get the car and pick you up."

"Okay," Mary Margret says as Regina vanishes out the door.

Emma winces hard as a contraction rips through her body. She'd forgotten how painful labour truly was. It had been a long time since she felt this kind of pain. Her labour with Henry had been terrifying; she was sixteen almost seventeen and the only person that was there to help her was Neal, who also had no knowledge of childbirth. Both were scarily inexperienced and all he could tell her was to breathe while driving to the hospital, there was nothing else he could do. This time, she's still afraid, but felt some comfort having her friends around her, one who had been through this before.

"Holy hell…" she mutters.

"I know, I know," her best friend says. She grabs both her and Emma's coats and holds the door open for her.

Sweat was already beading on her forehead and she takes deep breaths. Mary Margret helps guide her down the stairs, which feels like forever as they need to take them one step at a time.

"I didn't realize how big this baby was going to be," Emma grunts.

"Don't think about that right now, think about keeping your breathing even. We need to start counting the time between contractions."

"Oh my God! Someone has to call Killian and someone has to get Henry…!"

"Let me worry about that, you focus on breathing."

Regina pulls up in her black Mercedes, Mary Margret opens the back door and helps Emma inside. She then races around and gets in the other back seat. She tries to put the seatbelt around her friend.

"Don't, DON'T!" Emma shouts. "It's suffocating me."

"Alright, let's go, Regina."

The black-haired woman nods and tears out of her apartment parking lot, all her previous feelings and emotions left to focus on the task at hand.

Emma continues to pant heavily in the back, Mary Margret clutching her hand tightly. When the blonde winces as another contraction, her friend notes the time when this occurs.

"Oh god this hurts!" she whines.

"I know honey, I know."

"How…How did you get through this?" the laboured woman asks.

"With lots of support, come on and breathe again."

Regina pulls to a stop at a red light.

"Why the hell are you stopping?!" Emma snaps.

"I need to obey the law, just because you're having a baby doesn't mean I'm going to risk getting us in trouble,"

"Well tell the police that they can go…" she goes on to curse. When the light finally changes, this shuts Emma up a bit.

"We should've gotten David to do a police escort," Regina mutters. "That would shut her up."

"I HEARD THAT!" Emma growls.

"Emma focus please," Mary Margret says. "I know the pain will make you say some harsh things but you need to remain calm, stress is bad for your blood pressure and the baby."

"Okay fine…"

Mary Margret takes the sleeve of her sweater and wipes her friend's brow.

"I really should've taken those Lamaze classes," the blonde says.

"You've done this before, you'll be fine," Regina says as she turns at another set of lights.

"Don't say that you don't know what kind of pain I'm in!"

"For someone who just found out that her boyfriend got her half-sister pregnant…"

"GUYS PLEASE!" the teacher barks. Both women's mouths hang open in shock, Mary Margret hardly ever raised her voice, but clearly, she'd lost all patience with them. "Regina, focus on driving, Emma focus on breathing."

After what seemed like hours, the Mercedes finally pulls up into the hospital parking lot. Regina lets the two off before going to find a parking spot. It's hurting her legs just to stand and Emma can feel her strength slowly leaving her with each contraction. They were about ten minutes apart, which meant she still had some time left.

A male nurse greets them at the door.

"M-My friend is having her baby," the black-haired one explains.

"I see, I need a wheelchair," he calls out to the hospital staff.

Someone else comes hurrying down the hall and assists in getting Emma into the chair. Once the weight is off her feet, the blonde feels a slight bit of relief. She squeezes the handles of the chair as she's wheeled to the maternity ward.

"Name?"

"Emma Swan."

"How far along are her contractions?" the male nurse asks, writing the answers on the clipboard.

"About ten minutes," Mary Margret answers.

"Who is her acting physician?"

"Dr. Victor Whale,"

"Who is the father?"

"Killian Jones."

"Does she have any allergies or health concerns?"

"No!" Emma answers.

"Hang in there darling, we're almost there," he says.

…

Killian is directing a crane on the docks, which was lifting some heavy cargo onto an awaiting ship. He steps back a few feet, shouting through a headset where it needs to be. Suddenly, his phone vibrates in his pocket. He knows he can't leave his co-worker hanging, so he ignores it until the crate has been successfully loaded. He then returns the call, without even glancing at the name.

"Hello?"

"Killian?"

"Regina, is that you?"

"Yes."

"How are you doing?"

"Not important right now, Emma's in labor, you need to get down to the hospital right now."

"Bloody hell!" he gasps. He starts running towards the gangplank of the ship and ends up tripping over his heavy boots. He face-plants on the wet wood. His nose starts to bleed slightly from the impact.

"Whoa, slow down there, Jones, where's the fire?" his boss, Eric asks coming over to help him.

"Emma… My girlfriend just went into labour."

"Oh… well, then you'd better get going. I'll finish the load here."

"Aye," he says.

"But first, mop up the blood on your face," Eric says, handing him a rag.

"Thanks, mate," Killian says.

He hurries down the gangplank and across the docks towards where his car was.

"KILLIAN!" a voice on the phone screams. He'd forgotten that Regina was still on the line.

"Sorry Love,"

"I'm going to get Henry right now, make sure you don't speed getting there, you can only really get away with that if the pregnant woman is in the car."

"Aye," he says, fumbling with his keys to start up the vehicle.

"Be careful, I'll see you in a little bit," Regina says before hanging up. Killian tosses the phone onto the front seat and backs out of the parking lot.

His head is spinning and his stomach feels like it's turned inside out. He was going to be a father. He never imagined his life would be like this, falling in love with a beautiful woman, losing her, then searching for her, finding her again and learning that she was carrying his baby. Then they go into therapy together, then moving in with one another, it was happening so fast. It all seemed too surreal for his liking. He has trouble focusing on the road in front of him and more than once he nearly gets into an accident. He is determined to get there as soon as possible.

Suddenly, sirens are blaring and lights are flashing. Killian curses under his breath. He was speeding and didn't even know it. He pulls over to the side of the road and waits for the officer to come to his window. His hands are gripping the steering wheel tightly and he taps his foot impatiently.

"Do you know fast you were… Killian?"

The docks man looks up to see familiar blue eyes slightly covered with shaggy brown hair and thick arms underneath a black police uniform.

"Jack? How are you doing mate?"

"Good I…" he suddenly remembers that he's on duty. "What are you doing speeding like this?" Officer Overland asks.

"Emma's in labour at the hospital and I was trying to get there. I didn't realize I was speeding."

"Oh geez, she's having the baby now?" Jack asks in shock.

"Aye…"

"I've got to call David and then Elsa."

"How is that going between you two?" Killian asks.

"Pretty good…" again he remembers what's happening. "I guess I can let you off with a warning, but please try to get to the hospital at a reasonable speed."

"I will," the docks man promises.

"You're free to go," Officer Overland says, stepping back to allow the father-to-be to pull out.

He then heads back to his car and talks into his shoulder radio.

"Hey, Walsh can you get me David on the radio?"

"Sure why?"

"Tell him he's about to become an uncle."

…

Killian finally manages to pull into the hospital parking lot. He's so dazed that he doesn't realize that he's parked in a handicapped space, but he doesn't care. Boston could give him a thousand tickets, nothing would stop him from seeing the birth of his daughter.

He races to the front desk of the emergency room.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm K-Killian Jones, I'm the father of Emma Swan's baby… I'm looking for Emma Swan."

"I see, she's on the second floor of the maternity ward. They just put her in Room 245."

"Thank you," he says before racing down the hall.

Instead of waiting for the elevator, he races up the stairs, nearly tripping a few times. He begins going down the hall until he comes to Room 245.

Inside, Emma is lying in a bed, her swollen belly pointed upwards. She's dressed in a hospital robe and Mary Margret clings to her hand to give her support. She drenched in sweat and looks absolutely distraught. He immediately opens the door.

"Swan," he says, racing to her side. He grabs her hand and kisses the top of her wet head.

"Oh Killian," she gasps, she looks at him with her green eyes.

"It's going to be all right Love, We're here now…"

 _A/N: The baby is coming!_


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Regina walks into the front office of Henry's high school. A tired receptionist with bright red curly hair, that looks like a mop, looks up at her. She drinks from a bear-shaped coffee mug and looks at the equally dishevelled and tired woman who had pyjama pants on, standing in front of her desk.

"Hello, how can I help ya?" she says in a Scottish accent.

"I'm here to pick up Henry Swan."

"And you are?"

"Regina Mills, I'm his godmother."

"May I ask for the reason you are pulling him out of classes?"

"His mother is in labour at the hospital and she'd like him to be there."

"I see, do you have a note to sign him out of class?"

Regina bites her lip hard. "No, I don't,"

"Well, unfortunately, it is the school's policy to have a parental permission in order to leave school grounds."

"She's in the hospital right in labour, she can't exactly write a note…" the brunette hisses angrily. She then thinks of another idea. "Will a phone call suffice?"

"I suppose it would," the secretary says.

"I'll call her right now Miss… uh… Duck Broth

"It's DunBroch," the woman says firmly.

"I'm sorry, I'm bad with Scottish names,"

"That's fine."

Regina goes to the far corner of the office and dials Emma's number.

…

"OH MAN THIS HURTS!" Emma screams out.

"Just a few more second love," Killian says, holding her hand. She squeezed it extremely tightly, making his hand ache. It surprised him how strong Emma was this moment.

"Five more seconds, five… four…" Mary Margret says, looking at her watch.

"Count faster…" Emma whines.

"It's okay love," he says.

"Two… One…"

The contraction ends and the blonde lays her head back in exhaustion. Killian grabs a cloth and begins wiping her sweaty brow. Emma has tears in her eyes, ready for this to be over already.

"You're doing so well," Mary Margret says, coming to sit beside her friend again.

"Aye," her boyfriend agrees, kissing her clean forehead.

"You did this to me…" Emma growls, grinding her teeth together.

"Don't worry, she might say some things that she doesn't mean over the next few hours. Don't worry, it's just the pain talking."

Killian nods and keeps his eyes on Emma.

Suddenly, Emma's phone buzzes on the hospital nightstand. Confused, Mary Margret picks it up.

"Regina?" she says, answering it.

"Is Emma there?"

"Uh… yes, she is, but she can't talk right now."

"She'll have to because the only way I can get Henry out of class is by parental consent and considering I'm not his mom…"

"Well, this isn't exactly the best time to be asking for this…" the teacher protests.

"Just put her on the phone!"

"This is…"

"Who is it?" Emma pants, rolling over to see what the fuss was all about.

"It's Regina," her best friend explained. "She needs parental consent to pull Henry out of school."

"Give it to me," Emma sighs heavily. She does her best to sound composed, still clinging to Killian's hand.

"Regina, what do I need to say?"

"Just say it to the secretary here, Mrs. DunBroch…"

"Miss," the redhead corrects. "I'm not married."

"Fine, Miss DunBroch," Regina hands the phone over to the woman.

"Hello?"

Regina waits impatiently as the secretary talks to the expectant mother. She paces back and forth across the tiny cramped office, waiting for a response. She can feel her emotions about her breakup starting to resurface. She was still hurting a lot, in fact, she feels like she'll never be whole again… like a large hole has been punched through her chest and it will never heal again. Her mind clouds with sadness again, she can't believe how awful her life can be sometimes. Why is it always her?

"Miss Mills," a Scottish voice calls out.

She turns from her pacing. The secretary hands back the woman's cell phone.

"I'll page Henry to the office now."

"Thank you,"

"I just need you to sign this to show that you are allowed to take him out of school." The woman obliges and she waits anxiously until a confused Henry enters the office with his backpack on.

"Regina?" he asks.

"Let's go, Henry,"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, your mom's in labour and she wants you at the hospital."

"Oh."

The two walk out of the school together and towards her Mercedes. Once they're out of the school parking lot, Henry turns to her.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Of course, I'm okay, why do you ask?"

"Well, my mom tried calling you more than 50 times over the past few days, she was worried about you."

"Well, that's nice of her, but I was fine."

"You don't look fine."

"How do I not look fine?"

"You're still in your pyjamas," the teen points out.

"Your Mom's water broke pretty early."

"It was one in the afternoon."

Regina bites her lip hard and fights back her tears.

"It's okay if you want to cry," he says gently. "I can understand."

"How? How can you understand?"

"You're not the only one I've seen go through a break-up."

"Right… your Mom…"

"And Neal… and it hurt me too."

"I'm sure it did," Regina says, keeping her eyes forward.

"It's hard to lose someone you love," the boy admits before turning to look out the window.

She lets a single tear fall from her eye as she tries to focus on the road, but inside, her heart was breaking and her insides were still screaming in pain.

"I called you a few times too," he adds quietly.

The real-estate agent merely nods her head and turns the corner.

…

When the two walk into the hospital waiting room, several of their close circle of friends have already shown up. Ruby stands up, still in her work clothes.

"Are you okay?" the waitress asks.

"I'm fine…" Regina insists. "Can I please go five minutes without people worrying about my well-being? I'm not the one giving birth here."

She guides Henry to the front desk and asks for the room number.

The two go upstairs and when they get to the room, they hear frantic panting. Henry hesitates before stepping inside.

"Mom?" he asks.

"Oh Henry," Emma says, reaching her hand out. He goes over to hold her hand.

"How are you doing?"

"The best I can be right now, this labour is a lot harder than yours was. You came in three hours, you were eager to get here, this baby might take longer."

Henry sits down next to her bed so Mary Margret can take a breather from the Lamaze techniques. The teacher walks towards the door to go get a drink, but stops and hugs Regina before going out into the hall.

…

Hours later of sweat, blood, screaming, and ice chips, Dr. Whale is in the room again.

"It won't be long now," he says. "We'll have to take you to the birth unit. Only the father and two other people can be there as we shouldn't crowd her. I'd recommend the child not be present for the birth, it might be too intense for him."

Henry swallows and nods in agreement. He'd seen some things in the past few hours that he did not want to see again. He couldn't stand seeing his mother in this condition, but also that she was extremely aggressive as well. It was like the nights when she had her nightmares, it was not pleasant to witness or be on the receiving end of.

"Mary Margret," Emma says. "And Regina."

Her friend's eyes go wide. "M…Me?"

"I want both her godmothers there," the blonde says, managing a tired and tiny smile.

"All right, we'll get you prepped for delivery in the meantime, I want the rest of you to get into surgical smocks. Henry, you can go wait in the waiting room."

"I love you, Henry," Emma says, kissing him on the cheek. "In a little while, you'll be a big brother."

"I love you too Mom," he says.

"I'm sorry if I shouted at you a few times," she apologizes.

"It's okay."

While everyone else leaves, Emma is left with Killian by her side.

"I love you," she says.

"I love you too Swan." He leans down and kisses her on the lips.

"I'm sorry if I was screaming stuff at you, you don't know how painful this can be."

"Aye, you're right I don't but just think of after that pain, we'll have something beautiful," he smiles.

The blonde smiles too and they kiss for a long time until Dr. Whale comes back with nurses.

"Are you ready?" the man asks.

"I am," she says. "Let's go have a baby."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

"All right Emma I need you to push for me."

The blonde mother to be grunts heavily and gasps. "I…I can't…"

"Yes, you can Love," Killian says, kissing the top of her head. She's squeezing his hand much harder than he anticipated, it's beginning to ache a bit. He bites his lip to mask his own pain.

He, Mary Margret and Regina are all in hospital scrubs surrounding Emma, who has her feet up in preparation for the imminent birth. Dr. Whale has surgical gloves on and a mask as he leans in front of Emma, several nurses standing by to give him the tools he needs for the delivery.

"I need a push Emma or this baby is not going anywhere," Dr. Whale insists. "One… two… three."

Emma leans forward and pushes with every ounce of strength in her body. The pain is indescribable, it had been so long since she'd given birth that it was basically like a whole new sensation again. She screams out in agony, her entire body pushed forward struggling to get this baby out.

"Three… two… one… breathe," the doctor says.

"I can't-do this Killian I can't," the desperate mother whines.

"Yes, you can, Emma you can do anything…" he says comfortingly.

"Please don't ever leave me," she begs.

"Never."

"You promise?"

"I promise." He kisses her head again.

"You're doing great Emma," Mary Margret says, wiping her friend's brow and keeps her stringy blonde hair out of her face. "It won't be long now and you'll have a beautiful baby daughter."

"It hurts so bad," she whimpers.

"I know, I know but it will end soon I promise."

Regina holds her friend's other hand, not saying much, but merely being there for support.

"All right Emma here's another contraction, get ready to push"

"Oh God…"

"You can do it, Emma…" Regina says. "This is your daughter waiting to be born."

The mother-to-be leans forward again, surrounded by her family. When she'd given birth to Henry, all she had was Neal and he was as scared as she was, but here she had her family, who would do anything to help her. A loving boyfriend, a caring best friend, who had been through this, and a supportive friend. How times had changed and how her walls were now gone, open to feeling real love again.

"She's crowning, you're doing great Emma," Dr. Whale announces.

Killian sneaks a peek and his incoming child. He can see the top of his daughter's head, and it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen despite the blood.

"I need you to give me another big push," the doctor says.

Emma can't even talk she's in so much pain, all she can do is scream. She pushes in the last attempt until a new sound hits the groups' ears.

A tiny cry erupts from the doctor's hands as he holds up a healthy and beautiful baby girl.

"Here she is," Dr. Whale says.

Emma gasps, taking in the eyes of her beautiful baby girl. She can see the lively blue eyes through the infant's sobs, inherited from her father no doubt and she squirms around in confusion. The new mother immediately bursts into tears, so happy, hardly able to believe that this was her daughter. Killian is also in tears, gazing at the little one. He feels so happy and a swell of proud arises at the same time. He and Emma did it, although unplanned, this baby has arrived. Despite the times where she could have died, this girl was a survivor like her parents. And she certainly had a pair of lungs to prove it.

Mary Margret is equally happy, this baby was as beautiful as her son. She kisses Emma's head and sheds some tears.

Regina is more stunned than anyone else, to see something so beautiful enter this world, it truly is a miracle. Nine months of care and love as produced a bundle of joy. Her heart is a little bit heavy, but she's still so happy for her friends and Henry.

"Would the father like to cut the umbilical cord?" Dr. Whale asks. He gives Killian the scissors and shows the man where to cut. With one quick snip, his daughter is her own person now. He still feels slightly shell-shocked by this major event.

The nurses quickly wrap the baby up and hand her to her mother. Emma is almost surprised by the sudden weight, but she looks down to see the tiny face, still crying slightly, but has settled just a bit because she was now wrapped in a blanket.

"She's so beautiful," Emma sighs, still trying to comprehend the event herself. Tears flow down her face as she smiles at her daughter. All the time and effort she put into protecting this baby; the little person who was with her during those months of captivity, the child that kept her abductor from killing her, the being whom she went to great lengths to free and the daughter she was now going to raise with her boyfriend. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed over the course of nine months; somethings were awful, but most were blissful and now she had a new reason to be happy.

Killian leans next to his girlfriend and gently puts his finger next to the baby's hand, which she grabs onto with her whole fist. He feels the shift within himself, one of pure joy, he smiles down at his daughter, shedding more tears. He finally had the family he'd always longed for. He wished that Liam could've seen him become a father. He was about to burst with wonder and bliss. He now had the two most beautiful woman in his life and he loved them both dearly.

"Aye, just like her mother."

The baby girl continues to sob a little bit.

"It's okay." She says soothingly.

Eventually, the nurses gently break up the new happy family. Emma panics as the nurses pick her up and take her away. She's almost ready to get violent to protect the little one. "Wait, where are you going?!"

"They're just cleaning her up Love," Killian says, grabbing his girlfriend's hand again.

"Please be careful," is all the mother can say as her daughter is taken to be weighed and cleaned.

"You did it," Mary Margret says proudly. "I knew you could do it."

"How do you feel?" Regina asks.

"Tired…" is the response. "But happy."

She turns to Killian. "We did it."

"We certainly did," he says. He leans down and the two kiss.

It's one of the most passionate kisses they've ever had. One flavoured with happiness and pure joy, of exhaustion and sweat, but also of love. Emma holds his face in her hand and traces her thumb along his face. He holds her close to him and memorizes the flavour of her lips. The two remain together for a long moment of perfect bliss.

Regina is the only one who cannot watch this exchange. She was upset that it wasn't her that was happy like this, so in love, but she is glad her friend has a new baby girl… something precious and amazing to care for. She swallows the lump in her throat and pretends that the tears she's shedding are ones of happiness.

Within a few moments, the nurses come back with a swaddled infant. The baby is no longer crying, but sleeping soundly. Both of Emma's friends lean in closer.

"She looks just like you," Mary Margret squeaks in delight. She touches the edge of the blanket and gently strokes at the hair that is light in colouring, likely indicating that it will be blonde.

"That she does," Killian agrees.

"She has your chin though," Regina muses.

"A handsome chin for sure. That means that she'll be a strong girl."

Everyone laughs quietly.

Dr. Whale goes over the paperwork. "Well, she's a healthy 7 lbs 12 ounces," he says. "And no complications to speak of."

Both parents feel relieved that the baby was not affected in any way by the first four months of being in captivity. They continue to stare down at the little girl in wonder and love.

…

Less than an hour passes that Emma is back in her room after post-birth procedures, still holding onto her daughter. Killian sits beside her the entire time, holding her hand.

There's a knock at the door.

"Is it safe to come in?" Ruby asks, poking her head in.

"I don't know, less than an hour ago, Swan looked like she wanted to rip Whale's head off," Killian jokes.

Emma playfully punches him in the shoulder. Henry and Ruby enter first, followed by David, Anna, Elsa, and Lacey. Aurora and Mey Ling said that they would be there later.

Everyone quietly approaches the bed to get a glimpse of the newborn. Elsa and Lacey instinctively smile widely, while Ruby and Anna immediately burst into tears and can't help but awe in adoration. David has the biggest smile on his face and he wraps his arm around his wife, staring down at his new godchild.

Henry has a sort of mixed reaction. His eyes are wide and he's smiling, but his stomach is doing a few flips. He's still nervous and scared about being shoved to the side for the new baby, but he is happy to meet his new sister too.

Emma can seemingly read her son's reaction because she reaches out and grabs his hand.

"I love you, Henry," she says.

"I love you too, Mom," he smiles.

She pulls him closer so he can see his new sister's beautiful face. It is rather wrinkled and its sort of powdery in places, but the teen smiles when she yawns for the first time for him. He instinctively knew that he would love this baby and protect her always.

"Okay, everyone smile for me," Lacey says suddenly. She brings out her camera to take the picture. The three people who could understand the librarian's words do as she asks as the flash of the camera goes off.

"Baby's first picture and a family's first picture," she adds.

Emma looks over at Killian and smiles broadly. She leans over and kisses Henry's forehead in joy… It was true, she finally had a family. Something she'd wanted her whole life and finally she had it. Everyone around her she loved and wanted in her life forever. They completed her, made her a better person and she'd wanted all of them to be together.

"Have we decided on a name yet?" Anna asks, cutting right to the chase.

Emma looks up at Killian and smiles. He nods and kisses her head.

"We decided on Sophie. Sophie Milah Hope Swan…"

"Swan-Jones," Anna corrected.

"Swan-Jones," Emma smiles.

Henry is shocked. "Sophie? I came up with that name."

"Aye," Killian nods, giving a half-smile.

Henry looks down.

"Would her big brother like to hold her?" Emma offers.

The teenager swallows and nods. Emma slowly hands her daughter to her son, showing him the best way to support her head. Killian had already held her and was an expert already.

Henry is surprised by the sudden weight and awkwardly tries to hold her, but once she's nestled in his arms, the baby remains asleep. She makes tiny noises in her sleep and her brother just melts. He feels tears coming to his eyes and right now he doesn't care that he's crying. He has a new baby sister… she was so beautiful.

"Hi there Sophie," he says quietly. "I'm your big brother Henry, welcome to the family."

 _A/N: Welcome to the world baby Sophie. Hope you guys liked the name and thank you for all the suggestions, they were great. The bliss won't last long though, stay tuned for more_


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

"Oh, Em she looks just like you," Ruby says as she cradles little Sophie. She then looks down at the baby. "When you get bigger I'm going to dress you up in the prettiest outfits."

"For heaven's sake Ruby, she's a baby, not a doll," Elsa scolds, vying for her turn with the infant.

"Same difference," the waitress says. "At least she can't complain about it yet."

Emma leans back and holds Killian's hand tightly, trying to stay awake and watch her friends and family fawn over their newborn daughter. Henry sits next to her, leaning his head on her shoulder.

"She's quite sturdy," David says, taking his turn with her. "I agree with Ruby, she does look just like you."

"But will Killian's eyes and nose," Anna adds.

Emma gives a tired smile, all the sweat, pain, stress, anger, fear, and blood she'd endured to get to this point, has brought her a new miracle. Looking back now, she wished it was slightly easier in terms of psychological trauma, but she wouldn't change the end result. She closes her eyes for a moment.

When she comes to again, the room is empty except for Killian who is still next to her, holding her hand.

"Where did everyone go?" she asks.

"They all left to let you sleep."

"Henry?"

"I think he's at the vending machine."

"And Sophie?"

"The nurses took her to the nursery for now so you could get some sleep."

Emma leans back, still unable to wipe the smile from her face a smile of genuine happiness.

"Never thought I'd see one of those,"

"It's called a baby," she mutters sarcastically.

"No Swan… a smile," He then kisses her deeply. She pulls him in close, almost to the point where he's pulled off his chair and into her bed. She continues to hunger for his taste, she lusts for his strong arms around her. For the first time in a long time, she had no flashbacks, no moments of anxiety, just pure love for him. Killian runs his hands through her hair, happy to be able to hold his beloved Swan without worrying about whether she'd have a panic attack. He wanted to always be near her, he would never leave her side again.

They continue to kiss until Emma pushes back, not out of fear but remembering where they were. She's already started unbuttoning his shirt and he wanted to undo her hospital robe.

"Easy tiger," she whispers. She winces several times in pain; still not completely recovered from giving birth. "We just had one, we don't need another."

Killian smirks and kisses her neck. "Would that be so bad?" he murmurs. "Another beautiful baby."

"I don't plan on going through that for a long time," she says, trying her best not to give in to his demands.

"But you're still open to it…"

"Maybe…" she whispers, very unsure of how their future was going to go. "Let's focus on this one first."

"Aye," he breathes contently. Emma slides over so Killian can join her in bed. Despite how small it was, the two managed to fit, him holding her in his arms the whole time.

…

Regina stands in front of the glass window looking into the nursery, she stares at the beautiful little girl, swaddled in a pink blanket, with her name Baby Sophie Swan-Jones above her head. She's still trying to fight back the tears, but eventually, she can't anymore. She goes to a quiet corner at the end of the hall to cry in privacy.

Why did it seem that life always screwed her over? All her friends were happy and in love, most were beginning to raise families or were finding love… she was the odd one out… well unless anyone counted her sister… her succubus sister, that took as much as she wanted without thinking of the consequences. Who got herself pregnant by Regina's boyfriend in order to spite her. Her mind almost explodes with anger, her heart felt like it was being squeezed tighter and tighter, it was harder to breathe with every passing moment.

She sobs into her hands and continues her time in isolation. No one stops to ask if she's okay or if she needs help, she just needs to be alone, away from all the happiness… something she longed for so much.

After what feels like a few hours, she collects herself just enough. She's hungry and tired, thinking that maybe she should go home and rest, it had been a long day. She stands up and goes around the corner.

To her shock, she sees a shaggy dirty blonde-haired man with blue eyes and badly trimmed beard staring through the window. He has flowers in his hand and his dark green jacket pulled over his shoulders. Her heart nearly breaks her ribcage as she stares at him… it takes all her strength not to just run to him and wrap her arms around his neck. She longed to feel his lips on hers, the strength of his arms wrapped around her, the sweetness of his voice. She continues to stare at him it takes a little while before she realizes she's instinctively walking towards him. She tells her feet to stop, but they won't. She bites her lip hard enough to bleed and her stomach is a whirlwind of emotions. She can feel new tears coming to her eyes.

Regina's unsure if Robin can see her or not, he must sense the presence at least. His eyes remain fixated on the beautiful baby, still sleeping contently.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" he asks innocently. His mind is racing too, he wants to just lift her into his arms and carry her away, forget everything else that's happened. Unfortunately, life wasn't like that, he had an ex-wife, a son, and now new parental responsibilities to another unborn child. He wished he could take it all back, fix what has been broken, but he knows it's too late.

Regina's eyes go to the baby in the plastic/glass cradle. She swallows a nervous lump in her throat.

"She is, doesn't she look just like Emma?"

"With a little bit of Killian thrown in," Robin smiles. He grips the flowers tightly, wanting to get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness. His mind says yes, but his body remains stiff.

"You should see her eyes, like the pools of a lagoon."

Robin looks at her. He can see that her eyes are bloodshot, he can see the wrinkles on her clothes and the tired look on her face, but regardless, she looks so beautiful.

He swallows hard and looks at her. He reaches out to grab her hand.

She resists at first, but not for very long.

"Regina…" he says. "I'd give up my own life just to take back what happened. I know in a thousand years that you still won't forgive me, but I haven't stopped thinking about you… your hurt face haunts my dreams and even then, I can't sleep. I know we can't ignore that what I did was very wrong, but… Regina, I can't live without you. You make me want to get up in the morning, you make me smile every time you text me and you can't ever make me love someone as much as I love you… I will devote the rest of my existence on this earth trying to make it up to you, to make you happy, to show you how much I want you…" He trails off, unsure of what else to say.

Regina takes a step back; her eyes were filled with tears again. She's still holding the tips of his fingers, barely holding onto his firm hand anymore. Her mind flashes back to their break up, how hurt she felt, how angry, but now… there was still hurt and there was still anger, but there was love there too. Lots of love, that faded in and out, like the flame of a candle or a weakened heartbeat. She stands there, a waterfall of emotion pushing down on her, the words are stuck in her throat, she can't say what she wants…

…

Late into the night, Emma and Killian are still in each other's arms, the doctors and nurses found no reason to separate the two, but they did bring a cot for Henry to sleep on. The bedside of Emma's room is now covered in flowers and gifts. Many people from the station stopped by, happy to see their friend again. Jack Overland gave her a box of her favourite chocolates, Kris gave the baby a stuffed dog, Granny had brought over onion rings and grilled cheese, Leroy had given her flowers and balloon bouquet, and ever Commissioner Gold sent a card and few more flowers in a vase. The table now looked like a small garden. The family had hardly woken from their slumber, never thinking that their lives could be more perfect.

However, in the dark of night, a man stood at the nursery window, his hand on the glass. A single maternity nurse was falling asleep in a chair nearby, but the door was locked securely. The man's dark eyes took in the innocent and angelic face… His fingers gripped the glass a little bit harder, leaving greasy streaks. He bites his lip angrily, continuing to watch…

 _A/N: Let me know what should happen with Regina and Robin. Someone is lurking around too..._


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The nurse brings baby Sophie down the hall to her mother's room.

"How are we doing this morning Miss Swan?" the woman asks, cradling the new baby.

"Just fine thank you," Emma says.

"Are we ready to try nursing?"

"I guess so," the blonde shrugs. She hadn't breastfed a child since Henry and she remembered how painful it was. Mary Margret had given her tips to cope with the soreness, but Emma knew about the inevitable pain.

"I'm going to the cafeteria," Henry says, jumping up, not completely comfortable with his mom nursing his new baby sister in front of him.

Killian looks at Emma and then her son. Even though he should get used to the fact that his girlfriend will be breastfeeding their daughter, he felt like he should give her the privacy, plus he hadn't eaten since the other day.

"You don't mind if I join the lad do you Love?"

Emma can understand their discomfort. "No, I don't but keep in mind both of you that I'll be doing this as often as Sophie needs, so you better get used to it now."

"We will, just not this second," Henry says in a practically whiny voice.

"Okay, go and eat something," she says. Killian gives her a kiss before exiting with Henry.

The nurse then approaches the new mother with the infant. Emma prepares to receive the baby, happy to feel the tiny warm load in her arms again. Sophie looks up at her mother with bright blue eyes and makes a few soft noises. Emma smiles down at her little girl and begins to try and feed her.

What the blonde learns right away that the little girl is stubborn… much like herself. She refuses to turn towards the food and won't open her mouth. She cries a little bit and continues to squirm, much to her mother's worry. Emma could see the fiery personality already shining through. The nurse told her not to worry as some babies take longer to learn to nurse.

It takes awhile, but eventually, Sophie's hunger wins out and she looks for a source of food. Once she latches on, she becomes content and quiet again. Emma is a bundle of sensations and in a bit of pain from this, but it feels…unusual… in a good way.

The nurse lets the mother and daughter bond for a little while, leaving them alone.

However, down the hall, heavy boots punish the tiled floor as someone begins walking towards the Swan room. He has a mission in mind, he did not feel certain of himself, his stomach turned multiple times in anguish. His heart threatened to break his ribcage as his shadow was cast over the room door. The fluorescent lights shine overhead, casting shadows across this person's face. He takes a deep breath, preparing to face her…

The door opens.

"Oh God I'm sorry," Neal says, turning away immediately when he sees what Emma's doing.

His ex-girlfriend reacts by pulling her knees up to cover herself. Her face turns red.

"I…I'll come back when you're done," he says before shutting it again.

Emma swallows a large lump in her throat and once he's gone, goes back into a more comfortable position for her daughter.

…

Once Sophie is asleep, there's a knock at the door.

"Is it safe to come in now?" he asks, only leaving the door open a crack so he doesn't see anything.

"Yes, just quietly please," Emma says.

Both take deep breaths as they prepare to face one another.

Neal comes into the room and stands there for a few moments, locking eyes with Emma. His mind goes back to when he saw her like this, only seventeen years old, him twenty-four, her cradling their newborn son. How terrified he was about what was to come, and he could see the fear in her green eyes too. Her face looked exhausted and full of uncertainty. What he had done at that moment was to try and be supportive in anyway that he could. He smiled at her, went to her side and said that he loved her. It was partially impulsive, but it was something that he meant. He admired little Henry, asleep in his girlfriend's arms, and some of that anxiety subsided. Of all the dishonest things that both he and Emma had done, this was not one of them. The tiny infant was a surprise, never a mistake. He let Henry grab his finger and he kissed it gently. He then looked at Emma, tired, skinny, and scared, he kissed her and then spoke these words;

"No matter what happens after this, I promise that I will always look after you and Henry. I love you, Emma."

Emma tries to smile, but she's still afraid. Her mind is reeling from the past year with Neal, how exhilarating it was and how she felt so in love with him now… She did love him, but she was nervous that he would leave her like so many foster families had done before. Her trust had been broken so many times, it was hard to put the pieces back together and yet, looking at Neal and then her son, who looked a lot like his father, she felt that she believed Neal, she was reassured despite how unsure she was about their future. She took a deep breath;

"I love you too. I think that for Henry to have his best chance in life, something that we never got, we don't repeat the past,"

"I agree," Neal nods and kisses her again.

Now, flashing to the present, they are no longer together, that promise long since broken. They were different people now, they were adults and not as afraid of their futures as they once were. Emma had certainly moved on, created the best life possible for herself, Henry, Killian, and their new baby. It took a lot of risks, but Neal couldn't help but approve of her decisions. While he hated his own, he was happy Emma had made something of herself, found love again and managed to bring new life into the world.

He steps a bit closer, still holding a package in his hand. He peeks over to see the face behind the blanket.

"She's beautiful," he says, giving a warm smile. "She looks just like you."

"Everyone keeps saying that, I still see Killian in there."

"He most definitely is, but she takes after you in beauty."

Emma's cheeks turn red. Neal takes another step closer, afraid that the new mother might snap at him or spring like a poisonous snake. He'd been there the first time she had given birth and that was not pleasant. He knew better than to try and annoy a mother with her child.

"It's okay," the blonde says. "I'm not going to bite."

"Try telling that to when you nearly bit off my head in the delivery room with Henry."

"Yeah, I nearly took a piece of medical equipment and bashed you upside the head with it," Emma smiles. "But I've learned from my mistakes."

"I'm sure Killian has a different story to tell," Neal says. He gets a few steps closer and looks at the baby and then at her mother.

"What's her name?"

"Sophie Milah Hope Swan-Jones,"

"That's quite a mouthful," he jokes.

She smiles and gazes lovingly at her daughter again.

"I like the name Sophie, we never tossed that name around did we?"

"I think we were too busy freaking out to really think of names for our baby."

"I always thought that if we had a girl, we'd name her Victoria,"

"We really went for royalty names, didn't we?" Emma smirks. "Do you remember what made us choose Henry?"

"I guess because it was too perfect for our little prince, especially after he developed his love of fairy tales."

Emma nods in agreement.

"And now we have a little princess," Neal says, cooing at the baby.

"We?"

He swallows and steps back. "Sorry, didn't realize what I was saying."

Emma pauses, taking a long hard look at Neal. Her feelings toward him had changed, there was still the feeling of affection and some love, but not what she felt for Killian now. She'd always be connected to Mr. Cassidy, she was his partner in crime and they have their son. He'd also devoted a lot of his time trying to find her, even destroying his engagement to do so. She knows she truly does want to start a new chapter in her life and that means to tie up all loose ends. She takes a deep breath and grabs his hand.

"Neal… I don't want you to think that you have to be afraid of me anymore… I don't want any more bad blood or for you to think that I hate you… because I don't… I still have feelings for you and I probably always will, but I don't want us to avoid each other. We'll always have our memories, the good ones, and we'll always have Henry. I don't want you and him to be distant, I want him to still know and trust his dad and… I want you to be apart of Sophie's life too, as one of her godfathers…"

Neal feels tears come to his eyes, his mind spinning in infinity with emotions, he squeezes Emma's hand tightly and kisses it. He'd never felt so honoured and happy since Henry was born, he felt as if everything was slowly falling back into place like the world was being fixed for the right reasons.

"Do…Do you really mean that?"

"Of course, I do, I guess it took me a little longer to realize that I shouldn't be avoiding my past or building up those walls, I need to embrace it and make peace with it. If you can forgive me for being so angry…"

"Oh Emma, you don't have to apologize for anything and I know things can't be the same for us. I just hope that you can forgive me for everything that I did to you."

She squeezes his hand. "I promise I will if you can finally forgive yourself."

Neal swallows a lump in his throat. He knows that she's right, he can't spend the rest of his life beating himself up over his mistakes. They have all made them, some cut more deeply than others, but he couldn't let his demons continue to haunt him. He smiles at Emma and gently leans forward, leaving a small, light kiss on her lips, mirroring the one they'd had over fifteen years ago. She kisses back and feels much comfort in this moment, happy to have finally had closure, she could start anew with her new family and life.

The moment changes something in him too, Neal knows what he will have to do soon… the inspiration and the support Emma was giving him meant that he had to make amends with everyone… including his father. It was scary, terrifying even, like coming face to face with a King Cobra, but it had to happen, he couldn't spend the rest of his life running from the man who certainly wasn't perfect, even more flawed than him it seemed, but still gave him love and respect as any parent would desire. He knew that it would not be easy, but seeing as he had support from everyone, even Ruby now, he could do this.

"Do you want to hold her?" she offers.

Neal pauses and then pulls the wrapped package he had forgotten about.

"How about I trade you?" he asks. He places the present in Emma's lap and slowly, she hands her newborn daughter to her ex. He struggles a bit at first as it had been fifteen years since he'd last held a baby like this, but with her help, he's soon cradling her. He looks down, admiring her beauty and the small patch of blonde hair peeking through her tiny hat.

Emma watches as Neal sobs quietly, holding this little miracle. She then looks at the package in front of her and then slowly opens it.

"I didn't see the point in getting you flowers seeing as you already have so many,"

"Which will probably die within a week anyway," she jokes.

She opens the small box and gasps.

Inside is a swan pendant… actually, **_the_** swan pendant that he'd given her all those years ago. Her mind flashes back to the first time that he'd given it to her. He'd actually stolen it from a gas station they were stealing from, which they had to run out of when she was ironically pretending to be pregnant and someone saw them shoplifting. The pendant was the only thing that they kept from that "heist" and it was originally a key chain for the car, but he decided to turn it into a necklace for her for her seventeenth birthday. She remembers his gentle touch as he hung it around her neck and how she kissed him passionately as a thank you. Her birthdays had never been really all that special before, it was just a day that reminded her of the fact that her parents didn't want her, but he made it a little bit better at least, giving her a real meaningful present.

Her eyes well up with tears as she stares at the necklace.

"I must've accidentally grabbed it the night I left," he explains. "I didn't realize I had it until a couple of months later, but I couldn't bring myself to throw it out. It stayed on the mirror of my car for a long time, bringing good luck and I was afraid I'd never be able to give it back to you…"

Emma smiles and reaches over to hug him tightly, which is kind of awkward considering the baby.

"Thank you," she whispers, kissing the side of his head.

"Maybe one-day Sophie can wear it," he suggests gently.

"Well she is a Swan now," Emma grins.

The two talks for a little while until Henry and Killian come back. Emma tells the two everything and then asks Killian to put the necklace on her. He agrees.

A shiver goes up against her spine and his cool fingers touch her skin and she feels the chain go around her neck, she treasures the happy moment, her heart swelling with joy. She turns and kisses him passionately, unleashing that fire and desire again. The four of them then sit to talk for a little while longer, to pass the time and start a new and better chapter in their lives.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

"Henry please keep her still,"

"I'm trying," he mutters in frustration, trying to keep his hand gently on his baby sister's stomach as Emma tries to put a onesie on her.

Sophie was none too happy about being put in new clothes, she squirmed and wailed insistently as Emma struggled to dress her daughter properly. Killian had left the hospital to get his car, which both parents agreed was safer for transporting their daughter home. He also had to install the car seat in the back and get a diaper bag together. This meant that Henry was stuck trying to keep her still.

"Come on baby," Emma moans. "This won't take much longer."

"She's already stubborn like her Mom," David says, poking his head in. He, Regina, and Mary Margret had agreed to transport all the gifts, flowers, and other presents from her friends and co-workers. Mary Margret comes in to grab the bouquet of balloons and stops to help.

"You sure you don't want to use a pacifier? I mean David and I didn't for Jacob, but it might work for you."

"No thank you," Emma says, finally managing to button up her daughter's onesie. "We never did it with Henry and we won't do it for her."

"But Henry was an easier baby, he didn't cry as much," Mary Margret points out.

"Very lucky for a teen mom," Regina adds. She goes over and puts her arm around Henry as Mary Margret takes over his job of holding Sophie still.

"You were a good kid; both your dad and I can thank you for sleeping well early on."

"While she's quite feisty," David adds, before taking an armload of gifts to the car.

Finally, both mothers have managed to get Sophie dressed. Even though it was April and spring was in the air, it still wasn't warm enough for the blonde's daughter to be out without the essentials.

"There," the teacher says. "She's ready to face the world."

"I sure hope so," Killian says, coming into the room with the baby carrier and extra blankets. "It's bloody cold outside."

Emma smiles at her boyfriend as he places the bucket on her hospital bed. "Are you ready?" she asks.

"Aye."

She lets Killian pick up their daughter and gently place her inside the bucket. He then does the straps and buckles up and tightening them according to Sophie's size. Emma then covers the little girl in blankets, making sure every part of her body aside from her face is covered and that her hat is on. She then drapes a light blanket over top of the carrier's opening, hoping the infant will think it's time to go to sleep. The last thing she needed was a screaming baby on the ride home.

"Are we ready?" Regina asks.

"I think so," Emma says, giving a small smile. She slips her hand into Killian's as he grabs the bucket and she reaches for Henry's hand. The teen hesitates at first but then grabs it. Emma squeezes it tightly.

The group walks out of the hospital room, leaving it just as they had entered it. Hard to believe that it had been their place of refuge and now there was an additional member coming home.

As they walk down the hallway, David rushes and nearly runs smack into them. He's panting frantically.

"David, what's wrong?"

"I came to warn you that…"

"Why hello there Emma," a wicked high-pitched voice calls out.

Everyone minus the baby and Henry cringe, knowing who they're about to see.

Emma turns to see Zelena coming towards them, dressed in a loose-fitting shirt, which seemed ridiculous since the red-head wasn't even showing yet. She has her million dollar smile on as if they should be very happy to see her and be taking her picture.

Regina's blood runs very cold and she grinds her teeth together. She takes a step behind Mary Margret as if to hide and keeps her eyes cast downwards. The last thing Miss Mills wanted today was to encounter her sister, who is carrying Robin's baby no less. She knew that Robin had responsibilities to the unborn baby, but she was hoping to cut her half-sister out of her life completely. She'd crossed too many lines and stepped on too many toes to be forgiven, but as bad luck would have it, they would have to tolerate Zelena.

"I hear congratulations are in order," the red-head says in a sing-song voice. "Let's see the newest member."

Killian grips the carrier very tightly and tries to put it behind his leg as if to shield his daughter from this woman. He had heard all about what went on, from the house to crashing the baby shower and he didn't blame Emma for wanting to keep their daughter away from this woman. She was nothing but trouble waiting to happen.

"What's the matter Captain Guyliner? Surely you want your little girl to see her godmother."

"You are not her godmother, and nor will you ever be!" Emma hisses angrily.

"What? I don't get the honour, something that Regina has the privilege of being both Henry's and Jacob's"

"You lost a lot of privileges the moment your threatened Regina," Mary Margret snaps.

"I'm surprised you left your little monkey elsewhere, that's not what a mother should be doing,"

"You leave our son out of this!" David snarls.

"Besides, what do you know about motherhood, you wench!" Killian growls.

Zelena only smirks and takes a step closer to the group, without warning she rips the blanket off the car seat to reveal Sophie who is trying to go to sleep.

"How adorable," Zelena says, looking at the infant. "She looks just like her mother. I hope you took medication while you were pregnant Emma because I hear psychosis can be handed down genetically."

Emma wants to lunge at the red-head and beat her to the ground, but that might just prove Zelena right. Yes, she did have problems, after all, abduction and rape would do that to someone, but there's no way she handed down to Sophie. She bites her lip hard enough to draw blood, but it's Henry who comes to their rescue. He grabs the blanket from Zelena before she can react any further.

"My mom is fine and so is my sister," he says harshly.

"Oh, your first mistake speaks."

"Go stick your tongue in a wall socket!" the teen snaps. Most of the time, Emma would condone and punish her son for such a rude comment, but based on how she was feeling at this moment, she was happy he'd said it. She's fighting back tears of anger and grips Killian's hand tighter.

"Let's go," David says firmly. "Before I have Zelena arrested for harassment."

"You wouldn't put a pregnant woman in jail, would you?"

"The law does not discriminate against those with child and those without."

With that, the group walks on, towards the elevator and the exit of the hospital. Regina brings up the rear, avoiding he sister's gleeful gaze at all costs. The real estate agent decides to leave with her head held high, feeling slight victory of Zelena. Her sister may be able to give Robin children, but she could give him so much more.

"I finally see why Mom neglected her. She's just as much as mistake as anyone," Regina mutters.

Zelena, feeling satisfied that she'd done enough damage for the day, goes towards the sonogram room for her routine check-up.

…

Half an hour later, the red-head exits. Everything was as it should be. In reality, she didn't need the sonogram until she was sixth months into her pregnancy, but since she'd given Regina and Robin the last picture of her baby, she wanted one of her own.

She walks through the maternity ward, as if bathing in the fact that she'd eventually be here in a few months, she doesn't watch where she's going and runs right into someone.

She stumbles back to see who it is.

He catches her off guard and he almost takes her breath away. He's quite tall and very tanned, with lovely blue eyes and blonde hair that appears to have some dark patches in it. He's got thick arms and muscles that almost bulge through his shirt and he seems to have this intensity about him that makes her heart pound. He stands in front of the nursery window, staring at the babies swaddled in the cradles. She

"Watch where you're going," the man growls slightly.

"Excuse me, but you were in my way," Zelena snaps back.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?"

"Didn't yours ever teach you to brush your teeth," she says wrinkling her nose. She can smell the alcohol on his breath.

"You know, I'm not above teaching a woman her place,"

"You come any closer to me, I'll call the police, I'm pregnant after all."

"Are you not going to teach your baby some manners too?"

Zelena rolled her eyes, she wants to push one, avoid this man as much as possible, but she stays. Her feet won't move any further. She's stuck on this man, there's something about him that she likes. Maybe it's his chiselled looks, or maybe it's his no-nonsense attitude.

The man is equally surprised, a woman doesn't usually stand around this long with him and she seems to have a fierce look in her blue eyes. They take him back to someone he remembers, someone he used to know.

"Well, I've never been so insulted."

"Then why are you still here," he mutters.

Zelena swallows. "I'm not really sure."

The red-head keeps the man's attention, she is as feisty as they come. He liked that, she had a real fire that could be hard to find. His ex-wife never had that, she never had the guts to even stand up to him, this broad on the other hand, could kill with one lethal stare. He decides to change the situation to be more pleasant.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted, I'm just having a bad day." He then offers his hand for her to shake. "Why don't I offer to buy this pregnant woman and her baby a snack? That is if you will tell me your name?"

Zelena is surprised how quickly the man's mood has shifted. Now he seems charming and not a total jerk. Her heart continues to pound with excitement. She takes his hand and shakes it firmly.

"I'm Zelena Mills,"

"That's a lovely name, I'm Jacob Hart."

 _A/N: Cliffhanger!_


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Killian drives towards the house, Emma in the back with Henry and Sophie.

"Ugh, I really wish Zelena hadn't been there," Emma groans. She makes sure that Sophie is covered with a soft blanket, one that came from the baby shower. "Especially for Regina's sake."

"Is she really pregnant with Robin's baby?" Henry asks.

"I'm afraid so mate," Killian says.

"Why did she do it?" the teen asks.

"Revenge on her sister," Emma sighs.

"But what did Regina do to make Zelena so angry?"

"It's not all Regina, it's also Cora, their mother. Cora neglected Zelena because she was born out of wedlock and was seen as unwanted. Regina got all the attention and love, which is not saying much for Cora Mills. Then some of Regina's actions sent Zelena onto the streets."

Henry nods, he'd heard the story of Regina losing Daniel before, it was very tragic, and he felt so sorry for his second mother. "But wasn't it Zelena who gave Regina the alcohol?"

Emma nods. "Yes, but she'll only blame others for her mistakes instead accepting the consequences. Unlike Regina who has accepted the consequences of her actions, Zelena has made it her personal mission to destroy her sister's life."

"But that was so many years ago,"

"Hatred can live with you for a long time Lad," Killian adds.

"And she finally hit Regina where it hurts the most, being unable to have children."

"She's a real wench that woman," the docks man hisses.

"While we're on the subject, I want to talk about your language young man," Emma says sternly.

Henry swallows. "I heard it from a movie once and it…"

Emma smiles and pats her son affectionately on the face. "I'm kidding Henry, although I don't approve of it fully, with Zelena, you can say whatever you want… out of earshot of your sister that is. Just don't make it a habit"

Sophie makes a soft noise in her sleep.

Killian pulls into the driveway of the house. Just outside their fence are Mary Margret, David, Ruby, Lacey, and baby Jacob. Regina had likely gone home to recover from the meeting with her sister. Emma climbs out of the van with her daughter's baby carrier with Henry and Killian close behind.

"Everything is unloaded," Mary Margret says with a smile. Lacey stands there with a camera, ready to take pictures of "Baby Coming Home." "There might be flowers in strange places though, I hope you don't mind a bouquet on the bathroom counter."

Emma just smiles and hugs her best friend. She couldn't believe that she'd found the family she'd always wanted. David and Mary Margret were like her parents, always there to watch over her and make sure that she's safe. They had done so much for her and Henry that she could never repay them. She was so happy to have them in her life. In fact, all her friends were now her family, the siblings she'd always wanted.

"Thank you," Emma says happily, tears coming to her eyes.

Killian reaches over and kisses his girlfriend on the cheek. The two interlock fingers and hold Sophie's carrier together. Emma offers her free hand to her son. With some reluctance, he takes it and his mother kisses him on the cheek. For once, he isn't repulsed or trying to escape from it. He wants to be with his mom. After all that they've gone through, he's happy to have her back. Sure, things had changed a lot and he'd have to share her with Killian and now his sister, but he still felt happy… mostly…

Lacey captures a picture of the family of four entering the house together, through the threshold into a new life.

"Welcome home Sophie," Emma says to her sleeping daughter.

Mother and father take their newborn daughter upstairs, Henry and the rest of the family trailing behind. They walk down the hall into the furbished nursery.

The newly hung curtains blew gently in the spring air, adding a cooling breeze to the room. The rocking chair stood by the window, so mother and daughter could see the view as they nursed and across from it was the small rocking horse from David's mother as well as the handcrafted toy chest that August's father made. The stencilled butterflies seem to fly off the peach walls and into the room around the new family. The pink also cast a warm glow throughout the room. Along one wall was a bookshelf that housed all the stuffed animals given as gifts as well as books. Sophie's new dresser presented the handcrafted sailing ship that Killian had help in making, a jewelry box which held his mother's necklace, one of the baby monitor's and Henry's old music box. The baby's bassinet is decorated with white lace, the white crib would be added when she was big enough, and hanging above it are the crystal unicorns, seeming to dance in the air. Emma lifts her little girl out of her carrier, allows Killian and Henry to kiss her tiny head before bestowing her own kiss of affection and then lays the little one in the bed. Inside the bassinet, there is the teddy bear that once belonged to Killian and the lamb with the pink bow around its neck from Lacey, both places at Sophie's feet. Emma then gently pulls Granny's hand knitted blanket up to her daughter's waist, to ensure she did not get too hot. The name to be stitched on very soon

Sophie makes several tired noises in her sleep and coos once, adapting to her new home. Her family stands back to watch with smiles on their faces, happy to welcome this little one into their lives.

 _A/N: Sorry if this chapter is short and it's mostly happy fluff, but things are changing..._


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

"So, what do you do for a living Mrs. Mills?"

"It's Miss Mills, unlike my sister, I've never been married."

The two of them sit in a small café a few blocks from the hospital, both enjoying each other's company. After all, misery does love company. Zelena eats a éclair and sips down a bottle of water while "Jacob" has a black coffee.

"That's good to know," Arthur says.

"I'm a lawyer at one of the local firms."

 _She's rich too_ , Arthur thinks to himself.

"And do you enjoy it?"

"Very much so. I'm going to miss it when I have this baby."

Arthur smirks a little bit. "How many months are you?"

"Two, almost three."

"Does the father mind that I took you out for a snack?"

"He's hardly involved at all. It was a one-night stand."

"Well that's no good, a woman like you should be taken care of," he purrs.

"I will be, he's a real sucker for doing the right thing, one of those high moral kinds of guys. It'll be easy to get money from him."

"Do you want the father in your baby's life?"

"Hardly, he's just a means to an end at this point."

"So, does that make you available?" Arthur asks leaning in.

Zelena's face flushes red, gazing into this man's blue eyes. His blonde hair covers his forehead only slightly, hiding any wrinkles he might have. Sweat slowly beads on her forehead, but that could also be the hormones too. For some reason, she just finds him irresistible.

"Yes… I am available."

"Well then, I think I might want to take you out sometime… if you'd like."

The red-head liked how forward the man was; he actually seemed to have a little bit of spine to him, much better than Robin or the other jellyfish she's ever slept with. He was very mysterious to her and his attitude gave off an almost dangerous vibe. She was intrigued… almost, she did have to test him first.

"Perhaps… if you'd be willing to offer me flowers and chocolates…?"

Arthur swallows. That was not going to be cheap, especially if he was going to pay for the dinner. This woman looked well off in terms of money, she could buy her own damned flowers and chocolates! And yet… this woman was no push-over. He'd seen the type before, she'd manipulate her way to the top, or into bed, which is clearly what she did to get the father of her baby to knock her up. She was definitely not sweet like Gwen was, but she was definitely more exciting. He knew he had to keep this lady smiling. "That depends… are you asking for them?"

"A lady does like to be wooed…"

"You, my dear, are no lady," he smirks.

Zelena feels slightly offended, but the man had guts to say it out loud.

"Are you judging me?" she asks a bit harsher than before.

"Are judging me?" he repeats. He raises an eyebrow.

She shoots him an angry and snobbish look. "I've never felt so insulted."

"Really? Even when that teenager told you to stick your tongue in a wall socket."

Zelena flushes red with anger, she begins to gather her things, ready to leave. She'd never felt so offended before, most men would just fall at her feet to worship the ground she walked on, not talk back to her in a smug and distasteful way. She could sense that he was manipulating her, which was usually her move.

Arthur panics as he realizes that she's about to leave. He decides to turn this thing around, be on her side and stroke her inflated ego. "Because you are filled with sparks… the good kind."

The lawyer stops and looks at the man.

"I found the way you stood up to that family amazing. They had no right to treat a pregnant woman this way."

This gave the woman some comfort, was he really on her side. She swallows a bit.

"It was rather rude."

"Trust me, sweetheart, you gave them their just desserts."

"Emma should have really raised that child better."

Arthur swallows at the name. "I'm sure you would do much better with this one here." He gently reaches across the table and puts his hand on her still flat stomach. Zelena wants to pull away until the man she knows as "Jacob," traces her stomach slowly with his finger. He locks eyes with her, still moving it in a sort of seductive way. It sent shivers up her spine, but for some odd reason… she liked it. She sucks in a deep breath and takes a step closer.

"I hope this child has your panache and your quick wit. If it's a girl, she should have your fiery red hair. It's like winter fires… January embers… maybe" he purrs. He was hoping that this was working, she must be a sucker for poetry. "And your beautiful eyes, like an untouched blue lagoon. Imagine a beautiful little girl just like that… mirroring your lovely smile…"

Zelena feels lost. Her mind is telling her that this is a total line meant to pick her, and yet, she hangs on every word. Her cheeks begin to glow again and her heart races at a rapid pace. He sounds rather sincere in his words… he doesn't seem like the poetic type at all. She continues to be drawn in as he spouts more words that sound insightful.

Arthur decides to bring it home. He stands up, keeping his hand on her stomach, moving slowly closer to her and her eyes. He can feel her breath as he approaches, he could tell she was excited and possibly aroused. She looks at him with eyes of wonder, curiosity, and slight hunger. He gently grabs her other hand as he closes in.

Then pulls her in for a gentle kiss. It takes a lot of his restraint to not kiss her aggressively. He wasn't used to that, but when his lips touch hers, she sighs deeply. He then pulls back, waiting for the smile.

"Pardon me for being so forward milady," he whispers.

For the first time, she's at a loss for words. She should be slapping the man for kissing her but, the tenderness of his touch and the strength of his lips made her shudder. Her heart is thrumming against her chest and she feels light-headed, unable to think clearly. She swears she sees something off about him. The colouring in his eye shifts slightly and his smirk is a little too smug… She feels as if alarm bells should be going off, but they're all silent. She likes this man… a lot, he's much better than anyone she's met before.

"Maybe you do deserve to be treated as such," he says quietly.

Zelena lets out a small giggle, childish in nature but she felt like he was really trying to earn her respect. The flattery was just the icing on the cake.

"Would you mind if I took you out soon?" "Jacob," asks. He reaches up and wipes some custard from her face.

The red-head smiles, showing all her teeth. "I'd like that very much."

"What kind of flowers would you like?"

"Roses or perhaps poppies. I don't know why, but I've always loved them."

 _Expensive, but I can do it,_ he thought.

"And chocolates?"

"Cream-filled if you would be so kind…"

Arthur smiles at the woman. "Thy will be done," he says. "I'll see you on Friday at eightish?"

"Eightish," she agrees.

He then takes her gloved hand and kisses it gently. He puts out money for the food and walks the woman to her car. She gives him a playful kiss on the cheek before getting into her Porsche. Arthur waves as she drives away, still smiling.

He was smiling too, but for a completely different reason. He'd seen the whole exchange in the hall, he wanted so badly to swipe the baby from the blonde's lovesick boyfriend, but no doubt he could hold his own in a fight. Instead, he watched the red-head be insulted by a teenager and left alone. He knew she could relate to him and no doubt she'd want to get even with them…which could work to his advantage. Unfortunately, he'd have to woo her and do all the mushy and expensive things that come with dating, but he did it with Gwen and he could do it again. She was a hard one, not easily persuaded, much like him, but she was looking for someone who would treat her right and was no fool either. In the end, she fell for it hook, line and sinker.

She could be most helpful in getting his child back and revenge on the blonde.

 _A/N: I'm looking for a little help here. I do have a basic idea of what's going to happen, I'd like some suggestions on how to get there. How should Arthur manipulate Zelena? Should he meet Emma or strike with surprise? How long should I drag it out? Let me know what you'd like._


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Henry slams a pillow over his head, trying desperately to get some sleep. Sophie's screams echo through the house. He grinds his teeth together, wishing beyond anything that his door was soundproof.

It had been several days since his baby half-sister had been brought home and Henry didn't realize that the night before she came home would be the last time he would get a full night's sleep. He should have savoured it because it seemed like there was no end in sight. Every few hours he'd wake up to hear Sophie's confused and hungry cries and the sounds of either his mother or Killian going down the hall to get her. This new house creaked quite a lot and the arching halls made sound echo continuously, no doubt Sophie could be heard from the basement or down the street. Part of him now wishes that he had gone to stay with his dad, at least until Sophie could sleep for more than two hours.

He shoves his headphones in his ears, something he was doing a lot more now and cranks up the music, despite his mother warning him about how it would damage his hearing. If losing his ability to hear helped him get some sleep, he'd take it.

Meanwhile, Emma is rocking Sophie back and forth downstairs, having just fed her and now trying to burp her.

She insisted she take this shift, so Killian could get some form of rest. After all, he was the one working and bringing in the money. Her eyes feel so heavy and her body is still sore from having given birth to her daughter less than a week before. Her mind is running wild and it's not with happy thoughts.

In her exhaustive state, she wishes that Killian had used protection that night… at least until they were ready to have a family. She wasn't fooling herself, Sophie was the most amazing gift, if only she had come when everyone felt ready for. She wasn't a mistake per say… a surprise maybe. At the same time, this child is what kept her alive while she was in captivity, saved her from more assaults and kept her company when she was all alone. Emma had escaped for this baby, so Sophie would not grow up in captivity. In fact, her mother may not have been alive if it weren't for this precious, screaming infant.

 _When do they run out of tears?_ She wonders as she pats her daughter's back, the gentle way which Mary Margret had shown her. She also rubs circles along the small of Sophie's back, apparently, this was soothing to infants, made them feel protected.

The crying soon stops until a new noise reaches her ears. Emma feels something wet go down her back and a foul smell reaches her nose. She turns to see that Sophie has thrown up all over the back of her nightgown. It dribbles down her back, making her shift uncomfortably and a little bit got in her hair, causing it to clump together.

"Oh, come on," she groans loudly. Sophie makes soft wailing noises but is not crying fully anymore. She forgot to put a towel underneath her shoulder before she burped her daughter. Rookie mistake it felt like.

Feeling very flustered, Emma walks upstairs and goes into the bedroom.

Killian looks positively exhausted, his arm draped over his eyes as if to keep them shut from being open so long.

Knowing she might regret this, she nudges him with her knee.

"Killian," She whispers.

He doesn't respond.

"Killian!" she says a bit louder.

He snorts a little and rolls over.

"Killian, Freddy Krueger is in the closet."

The docks man snorts and practically bolts upwards in shock. "Bloody hell!"

"Shh!" Emma hisses sharply. Sophie makes a few more wailing noises, but not enough to start crying again. Emma rubs the infant's back to reassure her.

She kind of smirks. She knew that both Killian and Henry had rented the Nightmare on Elm Street movie the day before she went into labour and she knew the Robert England character freaked her heroic boyfriend out. Occasionally, she'd hear him mumble the creepy nursery rhyme in his sleep. She decided to use this to her advantage for the moment.

His blue eyes meet her green ones in the dimly lit room.

"What's wrong Swan? Is Sophie okay?"

"She threw up on me, can you just rock her while I take a shower and change?"

He sighs heavily. "At least the lass has a good gag reflex," he says. No matter how tired they both were, he still managed to make her smile. She gently hands her daughter over to her boyfriend and feels around in the dark to find the dresser drawer with her nightgowns inside.

As she turns on the water to have a quick shower, a feeling of almost dread hangs over her. She can't quite explain it, but she hated the fact that Sophie was no longer in her arms. It was like separation anxiety. She couldn't bear the thought of being away from her daughter. The warm water hitting her skin does nothing to provide the comfort of the cold chill running through her body. She tries to shake the feeling away while washing breast milk vomit from her back and hair. She talks to herself, saying that Sophie was safe with Killian and nothing back would happen to her, but the nagging feeling was still in the back of her mind. She climbs out of the shower and dries herself, waiting for something. The moment her daughter would start wailing again. The mother wanted to keep her daughter safe at all costs.

She looks at herself in the bathroom mirror for a moment. She looks as bad as when she had been rescued from Arthur King. Heavy bags under her eyes, there was redness around her green irises, her hair, while wet, did not shine like it used to, she looked as if she'd lost and gained weight at the same time, and her body was hunched over in exhaustion. This was the new Emma… the mother Emma. She can't remember if she looked this bad after Henry was born… maybe worse with more wrinkles this time and less acne, but the same amount of anxiety. What a scared little teenager she had been and now she felt like that again. It was like hitting the restart button.

It was funny, one minute she wishes that both she and Killian had waited to have their daughter and the next, she can't stand leaving the little one with any other person. It must have been her hormones… one could assume. After all, this would be so much different than with Henry. New home, new boyfriend, new life…

Maybe this was all a mistake, maybe they should have considered adoption… she didn't feel ready and her health was definitely suffering. At least, with the limited hours of sleep, there wasn't a chance for nightmares to come back. She had the perfect family life now, she had security like never before…

Her mind kept going back and forth, from yin to yang, from bad to good. She sighs heavily, wishing her brain would shut off as she puts on fresh pajamas and goes back down the hall to the master bedroom. She peeks into Henry's room, which was open just a crack. She can hear the loud music radiating from his headphones. She knew he'd done it to drown out his sister's screaming. She couldn't get mad at him, every teenager needed their sleep, and this was his way of solving the problem.

 _We should get him earplugs for his birthday_ , she thinks to herself.

She walks in, turns off the device, removes the buds and pulls the blanket up over him again. She leans down and kisses his forehead, one of the few times she could still get away with this sign of affection.

"Sweet dreams, Bug," she whispers.

She shuts his door again and goes down the hall, she peeks into the room and her heart melts.

Killian is laying with Sophie next to him, his hand resting gently on her stomach. Both fast asleep. At that moment, Emma knew it wasn't a mistake… far from it.

She goes over and gently lifts her boyfriend's hand up to get the sleeping infant from underneath. As much as she wanted to sleep with Sophie, she didn't want to risk anything. She takes the little one back down the hall and into her room, which has a small butterfly nightlight in the corner. She lays the tiny one in the bassinette, partially covers her with Granny's handknitted blanket, and winds the mobile. She then winds up Henry's old music box to play a soothing tune, something she hoped her new daughter would find comfort in, just like her son had. She kisses Sophie gently as the music drifts through the room and the unicorns turn quietly above the precious, angelic face, reflecting tiny beams of light from the night light. It was such a beautiful sight. She shuts her eyes to savour the moment.

 _Definitely not a mistake…_ she thinks to herself, feeling so peaceful inside.

She leaves the door open just a crack, knowing that she'll be back in less than an hour or so. She walks down the hall and collapses in bed, this time replacing her daughter under her boyfriend's arm.

 _A/N: A lot of family fluff, consider it some of the last before I crank this up a notch._


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Arthur pulls out the casual navy-blue suit he'd rented from a local tailor shop, which was not cheap to rent. He showers and touches up with his hair dye. He pops in his contact lenses and combs his hair until it is a desirable style. He then pulls on the suit and tries to tie his tie accordingly. He wasn't used to doing such things because Gwen often did it for him and even then, the two of them didn't go out for very fancy dinners.

He pauses for a moment and swallows a lump in his through when he thinks of Gwen, Megan, and Ben. They felt like a distant memory now, more than half a year had passed since he saw them last. He wonders what they are doing now. No doubt they went to live with her parents and are under Protective Custody because according to the news, he's a "danger to society" which might be true to some degree. The thing was, he would never ever hurt his children, nor his former wife… to a certain extent. He still loved them deep down and he wanted to do all this to complete their family, but of course, he was labelled as a "rapist" and a "threat to all women and children." This again was only partially true, he was a threat, but not to his family.

He struggles and eventually makes it look at least presentable. He adds some cologne which he had shoplifted from a local mall. He then stares at himself in the cracked mirror. He did not look like Arthur King, but Jacob Hart, a local to the Boston area. He smiles at himself and then grabs the "gifts" he was giving to Zelena Mills. He managed to buy two red roses, as that was the cheapest he could get them for and a small box of cream-filled chocolates. He sighs before exiting and locking his apartment door.

Everything that had happened in the past week had been a struggle for him, he could not buy booze or cigarettes in order to save for this date, which was killing him on the inside, but he kept telling himself that it would all be worth it in the end. Tonight, was more than a date, it was the first step in his plan.

He takes his truck, which he had cleaned out to the best of his abilities and made it at least presentable for this very vapid and likely spoiled woman. He grins to himself as he drives to the nicer part of town, knowing that this lawyer was loaded beyond his wildest imagination. She was going to be especially useful eventually.

He goes to the address she had given him and parks. He then gets out with his gifts and walks to the door of the apartment building. He buzzes her apartment.

"Yes?" her voice says over the speaker.

"A Mr. Hart to pick up a Miss Mills."

"I'll be right down," she says in an almost seductive voice.

Arthur smirks to himself, eager to get this relationship going. He knew this was going to be very important overall, and besides, he hadn't dated in a long time. There were even some butterflies in his stomach, unusual for the smug bastard that he was.

He can hear the sharp heels echoing through the main lobby as the vision of beauty approaches him.

Zelena was dressed in her very best. A silky green dress that wrapped around her shoulders, revealed some cleavage down the front and a silt up the leg. She wore a dark green velvet shawl, draped over her shoulders and at least 3-inch black high heels. She wore an emerald green necklace with matching earrings and had her fiery red hair curled into strong-holding ringlets. Her face was covered in bold makeup to show her dominance and her lips were as red as the roses her date was holding. She looked ever so powerful and unwavering as she approached her date. Her heart fluttered slightly, he cleaned up well, his blonde hair shone ever so slightly in the light of the front building. He wore a very smug grin, that matched hers to a certain degree.

She stopped once to check herself in the reflection of the window and it should have been her cue to turn around and abandon this date completely because of the part she would play in the bizarre scheme being set in motion the moment she stepped out of the building. There was nothing protecting her from this monstrous man once she was outside, who stood there with tempting gifts in his arms. She could have listened to her gut, telling her this man was dangerous and kept the door locked, rejecting him, and throwing a wrench into his carefully laid plans, but Zelena Mills played with fire, and this time she would be burned.

…

She exits the building. Arthur takes her hand and kisses it like an old-fashioned gentleman would do.

"Good evening Madame," he says in a smooth voice.

"Good evening yourself," she says in a sort of snappy tone, deciding to test his patience first to see if he was ready for the rollercoaster ride that was courting her.

Arthur then presents her with the roses.

"Unfortunately, poppies are not in season right now, but I find roses to be the more traditional choice."

Zelena takes them

"One for you and one for your child, which I'm sure will be as equally beautiful as you."

 _What a line_ , Zelena thought. Cheesy as hell, but she did appreciate the effort he put into getting her the gifts.

"And Madame, une boite de chocolats," he presents the box of chocolates.

Zelena grins like the Cheshire Cat, giving a small approval of his gifts. Now that the introduction was out of the way, their date could truly begin.

"My apologies for the ride tonight, my budget did not allow me to splurge for a limo," he says.

He opens the passenger door for her and helps her into the vehicle. He then goes around and climbs in next to her. While the setting was not exactly the most romantic, Zelena had been in much worse. He asks her what kind of music she prefers and changes it to that exact station.

They drive along in relative silence except for the music. Once they come to the restaurant, which was nice, but not too expensive or fancy, Arthur hurries around and opens the door for his date. He offers her his arm to escort her inside.

"Good evening Sir and Madame," the host at the door says.

"Reservation under Hart for two."

"Ah yes, come this way please."

The couple follows the man to their table, which looks out onto the main streets of Boston, which looked rather beautiful in the evening light.

"And your waiter will be right with you,"

Both look at their menus in silence again. Arthur is wary of the prices and decides to pick for himself, the cheapest and let the lady have whatever she wanted, plus with her being pregnant, he'd save a fortune on wine.

"Good evening Sir and Madame, I will be your waiter this evening, may I get you something to drink? Would you like to see the wine list?"

"No thank you, just water please," Arthur says.

"And for you?"

"A Perrier please," Zelena says. Her date was pleased he picked something relatively cheap to drink.

Once they have their drinks, Arthur decides to toast.

"What is the occasion?" the lawyer asks with her eyebrow raised.

"The first official date, with the hopes of more to come."

"Maybe," the red-head says playfully. Once they've ordered their food, Arthur turns his attention to the pregnant lawyer.

"So, Miss Mills, tell me about yourself"

Zelena decides to play it rather quiet, releasing bits and pieces of information and forcing him to fill in the blanks. However, Arthur was not stupid, he noticed her pattern and began asking deeper questions, while revealing fictional pieces of information about himself.

"So, you're a Queens man originally?"

"I am."

"And what was that like?"

"Not particularly interesting for the longest time, I often scared my parents with my tendency to drag race."

"Really?"

The two continue to chat as the waiter brings them their food. Arthur continues making up more details about his life, talking about him backpacking through parts of Europe, when he'd never been out of the United States, he was a vegetarian, which was a total lie, his charity work when he'd never given anything to anyone and he at one point offered his services overseas. These fables were particularly interesting, and he knew that Zelena would hunger for more as he kept talking. Of course, he'd only share a few tales before he asked for more information on her. He knew her type and she loved to talk about herself. He asked more probing questions as evening melted into the night.

Zelena loved that he seemed interested in her life. He supported her when she told him about being kicked out of the house and how her sister was so evil for putting her in that position. He played to all her sensitive spots, knowing that he would reel her in for the catch.

By the time the bill, came Arthur knew he had built up her trust enough. He paid without batting an eye and then offered to buy her an ice cream, knowing she'd probably be craving something sweet from being pregnant. The two sits on a bench and eat their sweet treat. It's then that Arthur begins to ask her questions about her former friends and tells her if she needs to vent, then he is more than willing to listen.

Once the red-head says one mean statement, it all comes out like a waterfall and she can't stop. She complains about the way they were treating her and how she deserved their respect. She said she was entitled to be considered their "friend." The more she talks, the more Arthur likes her. She describes the way she forced her sister to break up with her boyfriend and then seduced him after getting him drunk. He laughed and encouraged it, calling her a wolf in sheep's clothing and a siren in disguise. He told her how he thought she could get any man into bed with her with just a wave of her hand.

"Except for me of course," he chuckles.

Zelena raises her eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes, because I respect woman and I definitely don't sleep with them on the first date."

Even though this had been exactly what happened with him and Gwen. He wanted to make this woman believe that he had honourable intentions and good, moral standards.

"Good to know," the red-head says with a smirk.

The two eventually go back to Zelena's apartment, he escorts her to the door.

"You sure you don't want to come in?" she purrs, putting that final part to the test.

Arthur bit his lip but shook his head. "Perhaps next time my lady. But would you mind if I kissed you good night?"

"No, I would not mind at all." Holding back his passion, Arthur kisses the woman as gently as he possibly can. It takes all his self-control not to merely jump on her. He had to be smart about this, gain her trust and have her respect him. He pulls apart and kisses her hand once.

"Goodnight Madame Mills," he says before holding the door to let her in.

He waves to her once before heading to his truck. She waves back as he gets in and pulls away. She felt that he had passed the first test, ticking off all the right boxes. He was dangerous and tempting, but she'd make him beg for it. She knew this relationship was going to be the most interesting she's ever had.

 _A/N: Who is manipulating who?_


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"So, tell me more about these former friends," Arthur says, pouring his girlfriend another round of sparkling water for both.

"They're not friends," Zelena insists, doing her best to keep the water down. Now three, almost four months into her pregnancy, the dreaded morning sickness had continued, leaving her dizzy, faint, sweaty and overall very weak. She was told that it would pass with time, but she's in her third month and it should have stopped by now. The one benefit was that it caused her to lose weight and "glow" according to Jacob. While she kept the confident façade, in reality, she felt miserable and wishing that she'd thought her Robin plan through a little more carefully. If carrying your sister's boyfriend's baby meant being this queasy all the time, she would've changed her plans. The doctor suggested that since her body type was thinner, she might experience more extreme hormone fluctuations and therefore longer bouts of morning sickness, but despite everything, Jacob was there for her. He did not mind holding her hair up as she vomited into the toilet and offered comforting words, not knowing that he'd walked his ex-wife through two pregnancies previously. He knew what to say to get her to feel safe and relaxed in his presence. Plus, he knew that once she hit her second trimester, he'd become a lot more attractive to her. He had yet to see this smoking redhead in the sheets. Right now, he was kept at arm's length, which was perfectly fine for him considering all she did was bitch and whine about her sickness and pretty much everything else. He knew once she started on a rant, she wouldn't stop, which could be used to his advantage to gain some insight.

"That's why I said former," Arthur says.

"What do you know so far?" Zelena asks as if she had a list in her head of all the things she hated about the people who were supposed to be her friends.

"That your sister gets everything, your mother hates you, you manipulated her boyfriend into getting you pregnant… You spend a lot of your time on the subject of your sister, let's change it up a bit. What about this Emma girl? The one you ran into at the hospital the day we met."

"Oh, Little Miss Golden Girl. She has a perfect life. The beautiful home, the handsome boyfriend, the perfect teenage son, the great job, a new baby. It's all roses in the garden for her…"

Arthur feigns ignorance. "Isn't she the one from the papers? Escaped captivity?"

"Gutsy to say the least, but I didn't have a lot of sympathy for her, I mean I would've bashed the guy's face in the first time he'd try to take advantage of me…" Not aware of the irony of her statement. "Instead the inept cops let him get over state borders and he kept her locked up for four months."

Arthur is holding in the laugh, he tries to remain serious. It was rather amazing that he was able to get over state borders with Emma as his prisoner, it was actually funny that the cops had basically made fools of themselves in his and Emma's case.

"And of course her idiot boyfriend nearly got himself killed when he heard that he was trying to get her pregnant."

He bites his lip in satisfaction.

"And what about this boyfriend… Kelton was his name?"

"Killian, very sweet man, bummer that Emma got to him first."

"How tough is he? Could I take him in a fight?"

The lawyer is a little taken aback by the question, but then again, almost all the men she'd dated like to assume their dominance over one another.

"Just in case I ever have to fight for you…" he smirks.

"Oh please, Emma can have him. He's a love-sick puppy dog, following the blonde around and dropping everything if she so much as sheds one tear. A gentleman at heart, he has a dark past of booze and drugs. He has abandonment issues, just like her. His daddy ran away and then he lost his brother overseas."

"So I'm guessing he's had no military training,"

"I doubt it, he just spends his time moving heavy boxes onto ships and stuff like that. No doubt you could kick his ass."

 _Good to know…_

"So, Emma has abandonment issues too?"

"Oh, don't even get me started on her problems. She always says that she's felt unloved all her life. Her own parents didn't even want her."

"Was she given up for adoption?"

"They didn't even make it that far, they left her on the side of some highway," Zelena smirks and Arthur mirrors her grin.

"Really?"

"Yeah, and then the family that adopted her gave her back when they had their own baby."

Both chuckle as Miss Swan's misery, Jacob a little bit harder than expected.

"She was in and out of the foster system and group homes. Until she ran away and got herself pregnant at sixteen."

"She knew Killian way back then?"

"Oh God no, she met this drifter Neal Cassidy and the two ran from the law for awhile until she got knocked up. Had a cute kid, but the kicker is, he had daddy problems too and left them when the kid was twelve."

"The poor gal," he says with a laugh.

"I am not sympathetic at all. The pair of whiny weaklings deserve each other. They can have that squeaky-clean life for all I care. Live the Norman Rockwell life, me I'd rather live dangerously…"

"You live on the edge baby," He smirks. He leans in to kiss her. Their spiteful lips meet, and they snicker with glee. A wretched pair that deserved each other no doubt. A real match made in hell.

"Now tell me about the other one, the one who belongs in a monastery you said…"

…

Later that evening, after saying goodnight to Zelena, Arthur takes his truck and runs a detour to the harbour side of town. He parks across the street from the big gray house with the white picket fence and a yellow Volkswagen parked out front.

He lights up a cigarette and watches the happy family as they come back from a walk down by the harbour. The blonde pushed the baby in the stroller, the happy boyfriend with his arm around her shoulders and the teenage son eating a chocolate bar and checking his phone. No doubt he could get rid of the dark-haired docks man, he'd no doubt lay down his life for his daughter and Emma, but he forgot to ask about the teenage boy. The kid was tall and lanky, but looks could be very deceiving. He didn't look like a fighter, but his mother worked for the police force, no doubt he had a few self-defence lessons under his belt. He stared for a long time at the stroller, containing the infant… his infant. She'd already spent a month in the wrong hands and he didn't even know his daughter's name. He hoped that Emma at least gave her a decent name, do one good thing for their child. He licks his lips in an almost predatory way before letting out some cigarette smoke.

How easy would it be to just run over there and snatch the tiny thing from under the blonde's nose? They wouldn't have time to stop him, he had a full tank of gas and gun in the glove compartment. Take it and go, head off with the little girl that should be his. He worked so hard to get her developing anyways, he deserves to meet her at least.

It would be so easy to grab it. No doubt they were tired, having a new baby was exhausting. He'd have to strike sooner rather than later, catch them off-guard and maybe inflict a little bit of pain.

He watches them go up the path into their idyllic little home. The family parks the stroller on the front porch and Arthur only catches a brief glimpse of the little girl. She was fast asleep, so he couldn't see her eyes. He waits patiently until he only sees the lights on in what can be assumed as the master bedroom. He gets out of his truck and casually goes across the street. He unlatches the front gate and sneaks up to the porch. He looks in and sees that the careless parents left one of their daughter's blankets in the stroller. It also contains a few toys. He takes a hold of the blanket, it looked like it was handknitted and he turns it over to see a name stitched on the front.

 _Sophie_

His heart skipped a few beats. So that was his daughter's name. Not the best one out there, but still it was nice. He holds the blanket up to his nose and inhales the scent. It smelled beautiful, the scent of new life…

He then takes the tiny thing back into his truck and shoves it into the glove compartment. He knew they would miss it, most likely a sentimental gift from a friend, maybe that old cranky diner lady that Zelena talked about. He thought it might be a good warning to them… keep them on edge. After all, he liked a challenge…

 _More to come. It's okay if Arthur smelling Sophie's baby blanket made your skin crawl, it made me uncomfortable just to write it. I have exams starting next week so I will have to take a little break, but I will be back very soon. Please follow and review._


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

"How's my lovely little princess today," Killian asks as he walks into the kitchen.

Sophie lays in her infant seat on the kitchen island as her mother made breakfast. She seemingly gurgles, recognizing her father's voice and she kicks. The docks man kisses her on the cheek and lets her grab his finger. Emma sighs heavily, barely able to stay awake as she cooks eggs and bacon in a skillet.

"Are you all right love?" Killian asks, turning his attention towards his lovely blonde Swan.

"Just tired," she admits. "Sophie had to have three feedings through the night."

He wraps his arms around her waist. "It gets better Swan it definitely will."

She sighs again. "I hope so."

"But she was worth it, wasn't she?"

"Every moment," Emma smiles.

She turns to kiss Killian tightly. They embrace one another for a long few moments until they both smell something burning. In a panic, Killian turns around to save the bacon and fried eggs. Just then Henry comes down the stairs with his books and backpack, all ready for school. He hops up on the island and helps himself to some orange juice. He then goes into the fridge and grabs a slice of cold pizza.

"Morning Kid," his mother says, walking over and takes the slice away from him. She puts a plate down of eggs and bacon instead.

"Morning Mom, Killian, Sophie,"

"Do you have your yearbook money?" she asks.

"Yep, also Mom, is it okay if I go to the library after school?"

"Sure, but why?"

"Violet and I have to do a project together, we'll be home by 6,"

"That's fine with me, just be careful downtown."

"I will I promise," he says as he wolfs down his breakfast and then gets ready to leave for the bus.

"Bye guys," he says before shutting the door behind him.

Killian chuckles to himself as he eats his own breakfast.

"What?" Emma asks quizzically.

"Do you really think the lad will be studying?"

"Probably not, I know what that statement usually implies. I did go to high school you know. He can make his own decisions. I just want the kid to be careful, relationships are so hard sometimes and I don't want him to get hurt."

"I understand love," he says comfortingly as she sits next to him, making sure Sophie was comfortable."I don't want him to get hurt either, but I've met Miss Violet, and she'd never break his heart on purpose."

"That's not exactly comforting," she grumbles, eating her own breakfast.

The infant stares at her parents with her father's bright blue eyes, watching them talk between one another quietly. She kicks her foot occasionally in response to their gentle voices, one she would learn to be Mommy's and the other Daddy's.

"By the way, have you seen Sophie's blanket?"

"The one Granny knitted?"

"Yeah, I can't find it anywhere, I've looked all over the house."

"It didn't go in with the washing did it?" Killian asks.

"No, it can't be washed like that. Did you put it anywhere?" she asks.

"I don't think so, you?"

"We had it the other night when we went to the docks, but… I hope we didn't leave it there. It's way too special…"

"Aye, I'll stop by the area on my way home," he says, he gets up, ready to leave for work.

He gives his Swan a long kiss, allowing them both to have a very quiet moment of passion. She smiles, wanting to grab him and do more, but he had to go to work. Part of her wishes she could go to work as well. She missed being on cases, she missed being out of the house and not having to worry about diapers or whether she needed to pump her breast milk into bottles. As much as she loved her daughter, she missed working with David and the rest of the force.

"Goodbye love," he says with a warm smile.

"Goodbye." He then kisses his daughter on the forehead before heading out the door.

As Emma begins cleaning the dishes, she hears him come back in, likely having forgotten something.

"This was on the porch Love," he says leaving it on the table by the door and exiting again.

Emma lifts Sophie out of her baby seat and goes over to the side table. She finds an envelope with no stamps or any postage, just her name written on the front side. It's not a flier or a card of any kind, which is extremely weird. The blonde takes her daughter to the living room and lays her on a blanket, while she investigates this further. The handwriting was not familiar to her, maybe a belated baby shower gift from a friend in the force or something.

She opens the envelope and takes out the folded paper. She unfolds the paper and her heart nearly stops.

 _Dearest Emma,_

 _I hope you are doing well. It has been awhile. In fact, the last time we spoke was in a blood-soaked bathroom in a cabin in the woods, where you tricked me into thinking you were having a miscarriage. And I have to say, I'm not happy in you making me think that our baby had died. I know you probably feel amazing that you escaped all on your own, but keep in mind, I'm still very much a part of your life. You won't be able to find me and don't bother calling your precious police force because they won't be able to trace this back to me, besides who's going to believe you?_

 _I know you're suffering from the trauma post-abduction. An inside source tells me that you're on the brink of insanity sometimes. I hardly think that this would be an acceptable environment for Sophie to grow up in. I would like to gain custody or at least visitation from her once and while. You are such a happy family, now aren't you? The white picket fence and the nice family walks at night. Something that should have been mine, something you took from me._

 _I'm not entirely mad about it anymore, I have found someone new, someone, you might even know and we're happy. But life is not quite complete, not without a bundle of joy with her mommy's eyes and hair._ _I thought it might be nice to catch you up and warn you. You call the police, your son is the easier target; him, and his special girlfriend. I see them ride the bus together every day now. You tell anyone about this, your precious boyfriend's place of work is the easiest to make something look like an accident._ _I hope you enjoy your time with Sophie, she truly is a beautiful gift, but keep in mind that she's my baby too and I do intend to get acquainted with her very soon._

 _All the best regards,_

 _Arthur_

 _(P.S. I do like the name Sophie, but I'd prefer something like Alicia or perhaps Julia after my mother)_

Emma's head is spinning at an alarming rate. Her heart threatens to break her ribcage and tears are burning her eyes. She feels so afraid that she races to the kitchen sink and is violently sick. She leans over, clinging to the counter in despair. She sobs harder and harder, collapsing to the floor in agony. He was still there. Most likely in the city somewhere, watching them… he knew where they lived, he knew someone close to her and he knew her daughter's name.

She curls up into a ball so very scared, anguish building inside her. She felt like she had made some progress of forgetting about Arthur King and his purely evil ways, but now it was back. Her body is stiff with fear and panic. Her breath comes out in short puffs, making her dizzy beyond imagination. The entire world seems to stop and cave in on her, suffocating every ounce of life and happiness from within her being. She lays there on the floor, unable to move, being crushed by the reality of her situation. The monster was still out there, and he wanted Sophie. He wanted her daughter, which he thought was his, making her become sicker. She just shuts her eyes for a moment, listening to the haunting sound of her own heartbeat. It races ominously…

 _Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump…_

She continues to cry, thinking about Killian, Henry, and Sophie, how much danger they were now in. Was he planning to strike when she was alone with the baby? Like a bolt of lightning, she springs from the floor and races for her daughter, fearing that silence was not golden. To her relief, the infant was sleeping peacefully on the floor. Emma picks her daughter up and practically crushes her against her chest. She looks out the window at the street, which was almost completely empty. Every time a car passed, she'd practically jump out of her skin. Her mind was muddled with fear and growing paranoia. She picks up her phone, ready to call David… get the police officers over here to help her, but the threat of Henry's life is in the forefront of her mind. Tears continue to burn her eyes. She thinks about calling Mary Margret or Regina, anyone… but she couldn't with Killian's life on the line.

In a frenzy of panic, Emma double locks the door shuts any open windows and pulls down all the blinds. She locks the basement door and hurries upstairs. She moves Sophie's bassinette into the master bedroom and props Henry's door open.

Once her daughter is safely sleeping, Emma pulls a case from underneath the bed. She opens it and carefully begins to load her gun. She shoves two full rounds into the drawer of the nightstand and locks and loads the weapon. Her fear is clouding every aspect of her mind, she needs to prepare for the worst. Arthur wanted Sophie as she sure as hell wasn't going to let that bastard anywhere near her daughter or the rest of the family. She finds her holster and puts the thing on her belt. She then puts the weapon inside, her hands shaking after the gun leaves her hands. Fear was inside her blood now, making it run cold, she's sweating and continues looking behind her, waiting for the monster to jump out and try to attack her.

He would not live if he touched any of those she loved. It seemed that Arthur's plan had backfired in a sense that instead of scaring Emma into submission, he'd awoken something, something inside of her that was dangerous and very angry. He'd awoken the monster within.

 _A/N: Title of the story. Won't be back until after exams, Fortunately, I only have one so it won't be too long a wait._


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

 _Warning there is an implication of abortion in this chapter. Be careful if you find it upsetting._

"Why do we have to do a project on such a boring book anyways?" Henry groans as he sits in the library with Violet. Their binders and textbooks are spread out on the table as they write down ideas for their project.

"But _The Great Gatsby_ is a classic," Violet protests, looking through her copy of the book. "And I find it exciting."

"Please, it's just describing people getting drunk and partying at a millionaire's house."

"A millionaire who is also a bootlegger," Violet adds. "He made all his money illegally."

"It just shows how snobby people were then and they're still pretty snobby now, just for different reasons."

"I find the forbidden romance angle between Daisy and Gatsby very enticing though."

"It was a summer romance between them, they never last very long. Besides, Gatsby is way too good for the shallow dumb blonde."

"I think Daisy has more character than that."

"Really? She only falls in love with Tom because he had money, she puts up with his affairs and then she falls back in love with Gatsby because of his beautiful shirts and fancy house. And in the end, she goes back to Tom and gets away with running a woman over. It's completely pointless. If I had written this story, I would've written it where she and Gatsby try to run away together and then he realizes how ditzy and selfish she is, he breaks her heart, she ends up alone and Tom gets shot for having the affair. Poetic justice. That would be a much better ending"

"Maybe you should write a sequel," Violet laughs. "I still think Fitzgerald really captures the essence of the 1920s, it sounds like the most romantic era to live in. Fireworks of the beach, champagne in martini glasses, jazz music, dancing until morning light," she sighs, getting a far off and dreamy look in her eyes.

Henry swallows, picturing Violet in a 1920s flapper dress, dancing to the lively jazz music and representing the glitz and glamour of women of the era. He stares down at his book cover, at the female eyes and lips against the dark blue sky, picturing his girlfriend's face in their place. His phone suddenly buzzes, snapping him out of the daydream.

It's from his Mom.

 _Are you okay? Please respond_

He types, **_Yeah Mom, I'm fine, Violet and I are at the library. Why? What's going on?_**

 _Just checking in, please be careful coming home._

 ** _Okay…?_**

"Weird," he mutters to himself.

"What?" Violet asks.

"My mom's asking if I'm okay and telling me to be careful coming home."

"Did something happen?"

"I have no clue. It's like she suddenly wants to make sure I'm safe like I'm five-years-old or something."

"Maybe the baby is making her a little bit more protective than usual," she suggests.

"Yeah, maybe."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Do you think we should focus on the symbolism in the book? Like the green light, the yellow car, and the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg?"

…

Emma paces by the stove, waiting for the pot to boil. It's getting dark out and Henry still isn't home yet. It's just after 6, he'd promised he'd be home by then. She stares at her phone, waiting for something. A call or a text to say that he was going to be late. Killian had already done so saying to not hold dinner for him, but her son had not. The threats in the letter are still in her head. If she calls the police, Henry and possibly Violet pay. If she tells anyone, Killian is the one to pay. She fears for their lives and her daughters. She cannot believe that Arthur has the guts to get in contact with her again…

It made her skin crawl. She still remembers his deep, low voice and his looming, gray eyes still haunt her nightmares. Sophie makes a few noises from her baby seat on the kitchen island. Her light blue eyes try to follow the frantic pacing of her mother. Emma can't imagine if the baby had actually been Arthur's… Would she be able to love the child that would have been conceived from such sickening and violent way? Would she have had his soulless gray eyes or his dark hair? Would she have had to put the innocent child up for adoption, just because of the memories that came from the innocent life? Could she ever do it…? It was the same question back when Henry was born, she and Neal considered adoption, but remembering how she was brought into this world and left abandoned and stuck in the foster system the idea was put to rest. She would not subject any child that she might bear to the uncertainness and loveless environment of the system. But if Sophie had been Arthur's and she didn't want to give her up for adoption…Abor…

She lets the tears fall freely, feeling so angry at herself for thinking such a thing. She had considered it with Henry and it came into her mind once or twice when she was in captivity. But the thought of ending the pregnancy like that made her sick to her stomach.

She kneeled against the island before picking up her infant daughter and practically crushing her against her chest. She continues to sob, the pain too great for her to handle. She couldn't lose the child then, she couldn't lose her now.

When the water boils, Emma puts her daughter back into the chair and pours noodles into the pot. Every little creak or groan of the house made her jump. She felt like she'd have to have a gun in every room in the house and even then, she still wouldn't feel safe. She keeps staring out the window into the side yard, waiting for the maniac to pop out. She had her hand hovering over the drawer with all the knives. She was afraid, but would also fight to her last breath to save her children. She nearly jumps three feet in the air when the door opens, she turns to see Henry in the front hall.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Emma snaps angrily. "It's twenty after six."

Henry is shocked by his mother's harsh words. "Hello to you too Mom. Sorry, the bus was a little late."

"Well, you should've texted me or called me to tell me that!"

"I didn't know that would happen?" her son says defensively. His voice begins to get harsher, matching his mother's tone.

"I've been worried sick about you!"

"Mom, I was only a couple minutes late, it's not like I went to Spain or something."

"Don't take that tone with me, young man! You're fifteen, you should take more responsibility…"

"I was being responsible, I was with Violet."

"Maybe you shouldn't see her anymore if she's going to make you late!"

Henry is very shocked by this threat and tears are pushing the way to the surface of his eyes. "Mom, I'm sorry… okay, what is wrong with you?"

Emma swallows and stops. She realizes that she's been crying during this fight with her son. Her hands begin shaking again and she leans on the kitchen island for support. She's taking her anxieties out on her son.

"Oh Henry," she says, collecting herself. "I'm so sorry honey."

The teen looks on in confusion. His mother's face looks as white as a ghost and she looks like a deer in headlights. Something has her spooked and made her angry. At first, he thinks it's her PTSD again, or the leftover baby hormones, maybe both, but she looks like a total crazy psycho or something.

"Are you okay, Mom?" he asks. "Do you need to call Dr. Hopper?"

"No… I'm sorry Henry, I'm just really tired and it makes me on edge. I'm sorry for yelling at you. You can keep seeing Violet, I'm just... not myself right now. But please just send a text in the future, okay?"

Henry walks over to his mom and gives her a big hug.

"Okay, Mom."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She squeezes him very tightly almost to the point that he can't breathe. She knows she can't keep him locked up in the house, then they will know something is up. He's a teenager too, he needs to have a social life and just as he's starting to make friends too. She can't keep him trapped. With his life at risk, she feels trapped instead, like she can't protect him when he's at school or anywhere else. Arthur could strike at any moment and she wouldn't be there. She kisses his forehead and then goes about distracting herself by making dinner. The two of them eat in real silence, with Sophie on Emma's lap the whole time, which was really weird for Henry to see.

After dinner, he goes up to do homework and his mother busies herself with things upstairs, straightening up and doing any extra unpacking. She walks into his room frequently, it's distracting, to say the least. When Killian comes home, Emma embraces him with open arms.

"How was work?' she asks.

"Same as always."

"Well, there's leftover dinner if you want some."

"Thank you, Love," he says kissing her.

After he eats, both parents go upstairs. Killian lays Sophie on the bed and begins tickling her tummy. She doesn't laugh as she's too young for that, but she squirms often. He also holds toys that make noise above her and she kicks at the sounds. Henry comes to join them, and he tickles her feet.

"I can't wait for her to start laughing," Killian says. "It'll be the most beautiful sound you'll ever hear."

"I remember when Jacob started giggling," Henry says.

"Aye, just around Christmas time, he liked the flashing nose David was wearing as the reindeer and smiled for the first time."

"And Mary Margret dressed him up in those ugly hand-knitted sweaters and took pictures of him under the tree. He'll want those pictures burned when he's older."

Emma leans in the doorway, watching the happy scene. She forces herself to smile, but the feeling of dread lingers in her stomach.

"Emma," Killian says. "Why is Sophie's bassinette in here?"

"Yeah Mom, I thought you were keeping her in her room."

Emma swallows. "I just thought it would be easier, just for right now, for feeding. If I have her here, I won't be walking back and forth down the hallway and disturbing you… It'll just be easier to get her just as she starts crying."

Both men look at her skeptically.

Emma does her best to make it as convincing as possible. "I've also just been on edge and I worry about her constantly. Mary Margret told me that keeping her in here will help ease my anxiety for right now. She did it with Jacob."

She's glad that neither Henry nor Killian has her superpower of telling if someone is lying because they would see right through it.

"I hope that's okay Killian…"

The docks man, while skeptical shrugs. "Whatever you want Love."

…

As she's getting ready for bed, Emma is constantly checking over her shoulder. As she brushes her teeth, Killian comes in and wraps his arms around her. She squirms a bit but decides to accept it.

"Are you all right love?" he asks.

"Of course, I am, why?" she says nonchalantly.

"You just seem more anxious than usual. It also feels like you're hiding something."

She spits into the sink and then washes her face before answering.

"I just… don't feel like me right now…" which was the truth. "I had a fight with Henry earlier, I yelled at him for being late coming home. I just feel like I'm being more aggressive than I could be and I know it's not right. I don't want you or Henry or Sophie to be in the middle of it…"

He kisses her neck gently and rubs her shoulders. "Emma, you can always rely on me. If you have a problem, you can come to me with it. We're a team, remember? Although you've never been able to keep secrets from me for long, like I said in the bar that night, you're an open book."

Emma's mind flashes back to the night they had met.

...

It was starting to become late, the sun had just sunk below the skyline as the scantily dressed Emma Swan walked into the dockside bar. It was not one of the seediest places she'd ever been, but it was not well-kept. It was meant to give off a "seaside" esthetic, but it ended up looking rather sad, with stuffed dead fish mounted on the walls like trophies and a discarded ships wheel to serve as a chandelier.

Emma wore a black spaghetti strap dress and very large heels as she walked into the bar. Many eyes glanced in her direction, obviously, she'd caught the attention of the men in the place. Emma was still looking for her charge, someone who skipped bail and was attempting to flee the country by boat. She had very few shots at catching the guy, but according to Leroy, he'd been spotted in the area. Knowing this was the only place near the docks that was cheap enough for a man on the run, she went in with her best dress.

"A jack straight up," Emma said, slapping down some money. She tried to scan the bar, nervous but trying to exhibit confidence.

"You're not fooling anyone you know?" she heard from beside her.

She turned toward the voice. "Excuse me?"

Sitting at the bar was a man dressed almost completely in leather from head to toe. He wore chains and rings on chains around his neck, he tilts the glass of either whiskey or rum to his lips, finishing the glass before turning to her. Emma was taken aback by his eyes, which were a very vivid blue, his dark, raven coloured hair stuck to the top of his forehead in a messy style. Part of his chest was exposed due to the v-neck he was wearing. He smirks at her in a smug fashion that made Emma's blood boil a bit.

"The dress, the heels, the makeup, a drink that you hate, it's all very predictable."

When the bartender places Emma's drink down. Despite the mission she was on, she felt inexplicably drawn to this man. Something about him was fascinating. Most of the time she could easily ignore drunken patrons, but there was something about this one.

"Predictable about what?" she snapped.

"You have an ulterior motive Love,"

"I am not your love. I don't even know why I'm talking to you." She turned away and tried to drink the bitter liquid, hating how much it tasted, but she had to prove this guy wrong. It tasted like bleach and drain water mixed together. She scanned the bar again, looking for her perpetrator, trying to focus. Yet she could feel the man's piercing blue eyes on her the entire time.

Killian, who had already had a few drinks after a rough day on the docks, was also drawn to the beautiful blonde that had just walked into his vicinity. He knew immediately that she was doing something, otherwise, a pretty woman would not be in this part of town, it reeked of fish and had loud, boozing men hanging around it. He thought she was so very beautiful, her entire body seemed to radiate allure, confidence, and determination. He hadn't seen a more adamant individual since Milah. That that point, he'd lost her months, if not a year at that point. It hurt so much that he'd returned to smoking and drinking continuously to numb the pain and now... this blonde angel had brought him out of his drunken haze. He pushed the glass away and slid closer to him.

"I think it's because you don't want me to blow your cover," he'd whispered.

Emma glared at him and turned away, drinking the bitter liquid. He suddenly takes her glass and places it down.

"You know, most men would find your silence and harsh attitude off-putting, but I love a challenge."

"I'm concentrating," she said trying to ignore him, but his blue eyes were trained on her like a tiger watches its prey. Yet, his eyes had been soft and more curious than predatory.

"On what would that be? You see, I've only just met you and you're something of an open book."

Unable to take this any longer, Emma turned to him in annoyance and lowered her voice.

"Fine, you think I'm open book, why do you think I'm here?"

"You're searching for someone, perhaps a new man, or someone to call your own. Find a father for your children... But, then again, most people don't come down here for permanent relationships, but you're not that type of person. I've seen sadness in my life. You're showing me the same kind of sadness I've had... I see a lonely person, not wanting to connect. Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it?"

Emma slapped him across the face in disgust. This man was not only prying into her life but embarrassing her. It was scary that he could read so much into her already.

Despite the fact that she slapped him, Killian is still very intrigued. He could see inside of her vulnerable state already, she had passion and fire, something that made him want her more.

She turned to move away from him when he grabs her arm.

"Let me help you love."

"I don't need help and I'm not your love!" she jerks her arm out of his grasp.

"You're here for a reason, I'm sorry if I insulted you. Allow me to help you."

"You can't help me."

"Why is that?"

Annoyed that he wasn't going to give up Emma leans in, seemingly compelled to tell the truth.

"Because I'm undercover that's why..."

She then quietly questioned him about the suspect she was assigned to track down. His mood seemed to shift when she told him her true purpose. He felt bad for probing further than he should have with her, it made her uncomfortable and sensitive. Still, he'd broken through her hard exterior. They continued to snap at each other, being downright rude until Emma spotted her man come into the bar. She grabbed her drink back and then subtly made her way over to him. She tried to turn on the charm, but he caught on to her act really quickly. He turned a table over, punched her in the face and ran out of the car. She was in hot pursuit until she realized that someone was running with her. She could barely turn to see who it was.

It was Killian, although she still didn't know his name and in her mind was calling the annoying guy at the bar.

"What are you doing?" she shouted as they ran."Get out of here, this is dangerous."

"Danger is my middle name, Love. Besides, I can't let a man get away with hitting a lady like that."

"I'm not your love nor am I a lady, this is police business, you shouldn't interfere."

"I'm not that easy to get rid of," he'd said.

They travelled onto the docks, where she later learned that Killian worked there, and Emma could hear the suspect on one side of a large container of crates. She went after him with the gun from her purse in case he was armed. He was as he'd found a piece of rogue glass and slashed her hand as she tried to come from behind and grab him. She dropped her gun due to the pain, the guy punched her again, they wrestled for a few moments until he managed to grab her weapon from the ground. He had it pointed at her, shouting that he wasn't going back to jail when Killian ran out and began yelling at him. The guy turned, and it took her a split second to realize what he was doing. She then tackled him to the ground and placed him under arrest. She called David and she sat down to rest, trying to tend to her hand.

"Give me your hand," Killian had said, coming up next to her.

"What?"

"You hand it's cut. Let me help you," he'd said, trying to grab her arm to inspect her wound.

"No, it's fine," she insisted.

"No, it's not," he grabbed her hand and she could feel the gentleness of his hands. "It could become infected."

"So now you're going to be a gentleman?" she'd muttered.

"I'm always a gentleman," he said with a mischievous glint in his then pulled a flask out of his leather jacket and dumped it on the wound, causing her to grimace and groan.

"Ah, Oh What the hell is that?"

"Rum, A bloody waste of it too,"

He then maintained eye contact with her and he wrapped her wound, she became lost in his deep blue eyes. Her heart fluttered, and her cheeks became flushed as he put the cloth in his mouth and continued to wrap her hand. Despite her annoyance from before and the darkness of the bar, he was a very attractive man.

"Thank you," she'd finally managed to say. "For distracting him."

"It was my pleasure. I do wish that you would have let me punch him. He had no right to hit you like that."

"I've had worse," she'd said.

"I can't imagine how, but your eyes certainly seem to say so," he said.

"Oh, so you're reading my eyes now too? Are you a fortune teller?"

"Not at all, but I see you Love and you are something of an open book."

"Am I really?" she rolled her eyes.

"Yes. Like I said before, most men would find your silence and harsh attitude off-putting, but I love a challenge."

"You know nothing about me."

"That may be so, but I've seen sadness in my life. You're showing me the same kind of sadness. I see that an orphan is an orphan… Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it? Have you ever been in love?"

Emma has swallowed and turned away. The wounds of Neal leaving, though in the past still stung. Her walls go up to hide the raw emotion.

"No, I have never been in love," she lied.

"I find that rather hard to believe. A beautiful woman like you."

"So now you're hitting on me again?"

"Perhaps…" he gave her a smirk.

The two of them sat in silence, watching as the police carted off the suspect. They sat in the glow of the red and blue lights. David gave Emma a nod of acknowledgment before going back to the station. She sighed, knowing she still had to pay him back for risking his life to help her.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

"Really?" he'd asked.

"It's a friendly offer and a thank you for helping me, nothing else," she'd said trying to establish the boundaries.

"That might be acceptable."

"Let me guess, rum?"

"And vodka for you? I knew you were not a whiskey girl."

"I'm Emma by the way," she figured it was appropriate to give him her name. "Emma Swan."

"Swan..." he purred. "What a lovely name. I'm Killian, Killian Jones, at your service."

...

The memory fades as Killian kisses her neck and she turns to kiss him fully.

"Am I still that open book?" she smirks.

"You are an enigma, but still open to me," he murmurs with a similar smirk.

"Trust me, if something was going on, you'd be the first to know okay?"

"All right love," he says.

The two head to bed, but Emma pauses at her son's door, making sure it was propped open, so she could hear if anything happened. She then checks on Sophie, sleeping soundly in her bassinette, it just didn't feel the same with her knitted blanket missing. Killian climbs into bed and she soon followed. He puts his arm around her. "Good night Swan," he whispers. "Good night," she says softly.

Her heartbeat echoes in her ears as she stares at the nightstand drawer, where her gun was, loaded and ready. She tries to shut her eyes, feigning sleep and trying to put her mind to sleep.

 _A/N: I'm back baby! Exams are done for me and I'll hopefully be updating more. Hope you like my Great Gatsby stuff, it's one of my favourite books._


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

" _I know you probably feel amazing that you escaped all on your own, but keep in mind, I'm still very much a part of your life."_

Emma feels as if there are eyes watching her while she shops in the grocery store. The haunting words of the letter still echo in her head, even after several weeks of relative quiet. She'd read it so many times that she'd memorized the words and they still made her blood run cold. She turns around once while she's in the produce section to ensure that he wasn't watching her.

" _I would like to gain custody or at least visitation from her once and while. You are such a happy family, now aren't you?"_

This would've been the perfect time to strike, she was alone with Sophie in the grocery store, no Killian or Henry, no one to really protect her… then again, this was a public place and there would be too many witnesses or good Samaritans who would come to her rescue. Additionally, she carried her gun in her purse now as well as a taser. If he was going to strike anywhere, it would be at home.

" _The white picket fence and the nice family walks at night. Something that should have been mine, something you took from me."_

She shudders and looks at her light-haired daughter sleeping in her carrier. Emma wished beyond anything else that she could be a baby again. Just temporarily, even for an hour. To be released from all the torment of her trauma, the responsibilities of being a mother, the worries of any other adult, to forget everything, relive those innocent days where the world was big and beautiful, and everything could be put in the mouth to see if it tasted good. She envied her daughter's innocence and being able to sleep peacefully. While the newborn's sleeping patterns were improving, they certainly were not doing her mother any favours. She could hardly sleep at all and when she did, more nightmares. Emma was surprised that she hadn't passed out from total exhaustion yet.

" _You call the police, your son is the easier target; him, and his special girlfriend. I see them ride the bus together every day now. You tell anyone about this, your precious boyfriend's place of work is the easiest to make something look like an accident."_

Emma hated how paranoid that she had become. It took all her restraint not to text her son every hour of the day to ensure that he was safe or call Killian in the same manner, to check on him. Every time the phone rang she was afraid it was the police saying that they'd found her son on the side of the road, bleeding to death, or the docks calling to say that Killian was in the morgue.

She recalls a moment not long ago where she'd heard something go bump in the middle of the night and she'd roused Killian to go check. It turns out that it was a raccoon outside trying to get into their garbage. She felt awful afterwards for getting him out of bed for nothing.

Was Arthur King going to ever carry out his threat? Why was she so paranoid? After so many weeks, nothing had happened, and everything had been peaceful. Sophie started smiling and gurgling for the first time, which was a happy moment, but with the knowledge in her head, Emma could not fully embrace the joy. Summer was fast approaching and soon Henry would be off from school, and she should be nagging him about getting a summer job, but she didn't have the strength. She couldn't be a mother or girlfriend to her children and boyfriend because she was saving it to be their protector.

As she leaves the grocery store, Emma becomes weary of all the cars in the parking lot, afraid of a hit and run…

 _You're being stupid,_ her thoughts were telling her. _You need to stop this. Maybe the letter was a sick prank…?_ No, it couldn't be because only she, Arthur and a handful of her loved ones knew about her faking a miscarriage. For everyone's sake, especially hers, David had kept the details out of the papers while Arthur was still at large. Additionally, Emma didn't want the publicity, she wanted her life to go back to normal and to protect her children.

As she loads the van, she keeps checking over her shoulder, afraid of someone, anyone who might be watching her. She puts her daughter in the van and drives away, trying to go on with her life.

…

"Well hello there," Arthur purrs into the phone, talking to his redheaded girlfriend. "Last weekend was fun…"

"It certainly was," Zelena says, smiling over a court document that she was reading.

"I never knew that you had a cabin in the woods. I found it very romantic,"

"You certainly did," the lawyer says.

"Jacob" and Zelena had spent their first weekend away together, out at the Mills' father's cabin, out in pure isolation. Apparently, this was a turn on for Jacob as they spent most of the weekend being intimate. Zelena had never felt so exhilarated or exhausted in a long time.

The couple from apparent hell was going very strong. They fed each other's egos and bad-mouthed anyone they should care about. Arthur talked trash about his apparent ex-wife and the brats he had, while the redhead just went on and on about her mother and sister issues. Minds truly do think alike.

"I can't wait to go up there again," he smirks.

"Me too. Despite the humidity, bugs, and lack of Internet, it is a great place to escape," the female of the relationship agrees.

 _No kidding_ , Arthur thinks to himself, grinning inwardly. His fingers tap the dashboard of his car as he watches a young, blonde mother carry her child and groceries to the car. He could tell that she was spooked, he saw it on her face. His letter had worked. Emma was no longer defiant like she was in captivity, she was afraid…

"The perfect place to get away…" Arthur says.

…

"I think it's a perfect idea," Mary Margret says to her companion as she pushes her son through the mall. Killian had joined the teacher after work to go shopping and discuss the docks man's upcoming plans.

"You do?"

"Killian, you guys need a night out together, when was the last time you went on a real date?"

The docks man sighs and says nothing.

Mary Margret took that as her answer. "Exactly, you've both been so busy with parenthood and you say that Emma's been on edge the last couple of weeks. You need dinner and maybe a movie."

"It just feels like… we're abandoning Sophie."

"Please a couple of hours away from diapers, bottles, and screams will not kill you or your daughter. Believe me, I felt the same way after the first few weeks of Jacob's life, but David convinced me to take a break, we went out for dinner and then we went for a walk. It renewed our feelings of love and trust in each other. It was like we were just married all over again. Besides, your one-year anniversary is coming up."

"Aye," Killian says. He stops in the window a jewelry store in the mall. He examines the jewelry… his eyes go from the necklaces and bracelets to the diamond rings… he swallows hard, continuing to gaze at them, as if in awe. His mind was formulating an idea… something he wanted to do. Was the time, right? Should they do this?

"You okay?" Mary Margret asks, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Huh, oh yes, just thinking of a present," he answers quickly. As much as he adored Mary Margret as his friend, she was lousy at keeping secrets and even if she noticed the hints in his thought process, she could not keep her mouth shut. He continues to walk with the mother and her son.

"Have you thought about what you want to give her?" the teacher asks.

"Something special, something that means a lot to her besides flowers and chocolate."

"Well, there are a number of ways you could go…"

Killian does his best to appear interested in the suggestions that Emma's best friend was offering, but his mind kept going back to the jewelry store, at the glittering stones on display. Something to express the love he felt for his beloved Swan.

…

"So Swan," Killian says, as the four of them sat down to dinner that night. "Do you know what is coming up?"

"Exams?" Henry mutters sarcastically, picking at his chicken pot pie.

"Aye Lad, but something else. Something rather special."

"Your birthday?" Emma asks. She knew his birthday was coming up soon and she had to start thinking of a present for him.

"Yes, but also…"

Emma wants to get the hint, but with Sophie having dinner at her chest and trying to eat her own food, she wasn't up for guessing. She wracks her brain, trying to think of what happened to her, this time last year. Not much, if she could remember, her job, her son…

"I give up," she says, humorously.

"It will be one-year next week that we first met," Killian answers.

Now the blonde was embarrassed. It surprised her that he even remembered these kinds of things. Usually, it was the female who made a big fuss over it… but even then, she really didn't pay attention to things like that. She never did with Neal. But, it seemed that this meant something to him, so she does her best to feel engaged about it.

"Has it only been a year?" she asks, smiling.

"Aye, it feels longer," he smirks back.

Henry rolls his eyes. "A lot longer," he mutters.

"So, I thought that in celebration of this, I would like to take you out to dinner and perhaps a movie. Just the two of us, a special date night."

Emma swallows. She looks down at her daughter, who was still nursing. Despite how much Sophie had grown, she still did not feel comfortable leaving her with Henry or another babysitter. She still needed to nurse, and her needs were still quite high. No other person outside of this family would know the routine or how to care for the infant properly.

"I…I don't know," she murmurs.

"I'll get Mary Margret to babysit Sophie and Henry can go out with his friends if he wants. Come on Swan, you need a night away, you hardly leave the house unless you need to shop."

She wants to get mad at that statement, but it was the truth.

" _I hope you enjoy your time with Sophie, she truly is a beautiful gift, but keep in mind that she's my baby too and I do intend to get acquainted with her very soon."_

The words play on repeat in her mind. The last lines of his letter… he wanted their daughter and he would get it any way he could. She was very much afraid, but if she told him she didn't want to go out it would hurt him, or he might get suspicious. She didn't want to risk it and she truly did want to go out, just relax, but not with Arthur lurking out there, watching them. Was he even watching them? It had been weeks since his threat, and nothing had happened. Not letters, no calls, no break-ins, nothing to indicate that he was coming after them. That also might've been because she had kept it a secret, something that was torturing her immensely. Were they truly safe? Could she leave for a few hours and not have her daughter snatched from under her nose?

She bites her lip hard and fights back the tears, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and anxiety.

"O-Okay," she finally manages to say, wondering if she was going to regret those words.

 _A/N: I'm back, sorry been working on other stories. This is a set up for something big, so get ready._


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

"So what kind of dress are you thinking?" Ruby asks as she, Regina, Mary Margret, Elsa, and Anna sit around the master bedroom, helping their friend pick out something for her date. Henry was downstairs watching his sister while his mother tries to pick out something for the upcoming anniversary to her Irish boyfriend. Ruby sits on the bed, clinging to Killian's pillow, likely because it smelled like him; it didn't matter if Killian was the father of a child and in a committed relationship with another woman, Ruby would always have the hots for him. Anna sits in Emma's desk chair, her chin over her hands in boredom, Elsa is on the floor next to the bed, texting, Regina leans against the back wall and Mary Margret sits in another chair next to Sophie's bassinette, trying to provide moral support. "Something that shows off the boobs I hope."

Everyone rolls their eyes, no matter what happened in their lives; even if someone had a baby, or if another person was in love, Ruby could still be extremely dirty.

"Why must I show off my boobs, they hurt enough as it is and they're big enough with me breastfeeding," Emma says, looking through the array of dresses she has; most were from her work as a bail-bonds person, meant to entice men into trust her. But this wasn't a girl's night out, she had a boyfriend, an amazing one at that, but she can't find what kind of dress to wear.

"I'm jealous," Ruby says. "I still have to stuff my bra to get them as big as yours."

"Perks of having a hungry infant sucking on them every half-hour," Emma mutters to herself as she tosses another few dresses onto the bed next to Ruby.

"What about this one, accentuates the ass and if you bend over…"

"Why do you insist on doing that?" Regina asks, rolling her eyes. "Why can't you be mature for one minute? For God's sake, Henry's downstairs and he might hear you."

"If he has, he's on the way out the door," Anna states.

"Why does it matter if you highlight your breasts or your butt?" Elsa asks, "Why can't we just be happy with our body types?"

"Don't pull that feminist line with me," Ruby scoffs. "I've seen you on dates with Jack, real subtle with the slit in the dress going halfway up your thigh."

"Don't we have enough problems as it is for women?" Regina mutters, taking a pillow and whacking the waitress in the back of the head to tell her to stop picking on Elsa.

"Can we not have this conversation right now?" Emma begs. "That can be saved for the picketing lines and bra burnings."

"What about the one I lent you a year ago?" Regina suggests.

"The black one with all the beadwork?" the blonde asks.

"Yeah, hopefully, it didn't get buried when you moved."

Emma starts digging through her closet trying to find it. She was still having a lot of anxieties about doing this, the letter's threats still lingering, despite how long it had been. She couldn't shake the feeling that Arthur King would act on his impulses; he'd tied her hands about telling someone by threatening the lives of her family. This secret was eating her alive, consuming her every thought, and she couldn't stand that there was this big truth that only she knew. She tries to shake the sadness from her face as she searches the closet.

"Let me ask you a question," Ruby says, obviously being unable to keep her mouth shut for very long. She gets up from the bed and goes to Sophie's bassinette, she twirls one of the crystal unicorns with her fingers. "Why did you insist on me doing all that stencil work and painting in the nursery to have your baby sleep in here?"

Emma shrinks into herself a little bit of embarrassment and her cheeks flush red. Elsa glares at the dyed-haired friend of the group and Anna balls up a piece of paper and tosses it at her as well.

"It happens with new mothers, Ruby," the only mother of the group says. "It happened when I had Jacob too and especially during the whole investigation. For the first little while, I didn't want my son sleeping anywhere else that wasn't close to me. It's a security thing, plus it makes feeding a lot easier and a lot more convenient."

"I'm just saying one day she's going to be a teenager and all the girly artwork of butterflies and unicorns will be covered with posters of boy bands and she'll be spray painting Illuminati symbols on the roof."

Every woman looks at the waitress in confusion

"Did you do that?" Regina inquires, raising an eyebrow.

Ruby swallows. "I don't want to talk about my first year of high school."

"What high school did you go to? The one where they wear tin-foil hats as part of the uniform?" Regina scoffs.

"No, it's where we wore clay masks and pretended to fall into an animated sausage grinder while singing _Pink Floyd_." The maroon-haired woman snaps back.

"Here it is," Emma says, finally able to stop the endless bickering. She holds it up.

"Wow," Anna says, in amazement. "That looks really pretty."

"I picked it up in Italy a few years back," Regina says proudly. "Unfortunately, the sizes are different in Italy and America and it ended up being too small for me, so I gave it to Emma."

"You seriously think I can fit into it now, after a baby?" Emma asks.

"Did you even try it on before Sophie?" Regina asks.

"No,"

"Well then go to the bathroom and try it," Mary Margret insists, gently pushing her friend towards the door.

"Okay," the blonde says. "Can one of you pick out shoes for me? No pumps and nothing too high."

"On it," Ruby says, going into the closet, sounding like she was on an important mission.

"Why would she trust you to do that, you know you're just going to ' _borrow_ ' her stuff," Anna snorts.

"Hey, she might be a seven and I'm an eight, but I can squeeze into any type of shoe."

"That's like some bizarre version of Chinese foot binding," Regina mutters.

"it's a skill," Ruby says as she digs through the racks of shoes, the real-estate agent's phone goes off

Her dark eyes immediately roll over more than once when she sees who the text is from.

"What is it?" Elsa asks.

"My so-called sister," she mutters. "Apparently, despite being pregnant with Robin's child, she's found her way into some other guy's pants."

"How come you haven't blocked her number?" Anna asks. "Considering all the crap she's put you through."

"Don't you think I've tried? But she is my sister and I want her to tell me the good news of when my mom drops dead from excessive plastic surgery. I've even unfriended her on Facebook and yet her pictures still end up in my notifications. She just can't help but brag about this new guy and how amazing he is. Also, I need to know when she pops the baby out, so I can work out a way for Robin to get custody of it."

The other women in the room look around reluctantly, knowing that trying to get custody of a baby from a lawyer and the mother of the said baby would be extremely hard.

"How could you even afford to do that?" Elsa asks.

"Robin has a buddy named John who knows a great law team, they're willing to do it pro-bono for their friend."

"That's pretty lucky," Ruby says, coming out with two pairs of shoes. "What do you think, bows or leather?"

"What's this new guy's name?" Mary Margret asks.

"Jacob… Hart, I think it is, and all I've seen with her photos is ' _Jacob this'_ and ' _Jacob that'_ it get's pretty tedious, but according to her, she's finally found, true love."

"And he's okay with her being pregnant?" Anna asks.

"Apparently,"

"Honestly, if it's true love, then he's probably as bad as she is. He's probably a creep, she's a bitch and they both deserve each other," Ruby states firmly.

No one argues there, then Emma comes back in the dress and all eyes fall on her.

"Wow!" Elsa gasps.

"That looks amazing," Mary Margret chirps happily.

"It's a bit snug in the bust area," Emma comments, adjusting the fabric uncomfortably.

"Screw your bust, Emma you have to wear that!" Ruby says earnestly.

"' _Screw the bust_ ', never thought I'd hear you say that," the blonde smirks. "I thought the bust was everything."

"Not when it looks this gorgeous on you, look…"

Emma stands in front of the full-length mirror hanging from her closet door, admiring herself from all different angles. The dress is a tank-top style with a small slit down one of the legs, made of Italian silk most likely, and the entire bodice is absolutely covered in beads. All the beads are embroidered with various styles of flowers and mandala typestyles. They glitter in the light and the entire dress hugs Emma's new curves in a good way. It was an amazing piece, but the problem was the zipper could not go all the way up on the back.

"If you want, Grandma can loosen it a bit at the back to help the zipper go up," Ruby says.

"Can she do it by next week?" Emma asks.

"I think she can,"

"Then say yes to this dress," Anna squeals. "It's so beautiful."

"Put the hair up, add some earrings and shoes and you've got a true beauty queen," Regina says, happy the dress was not just a waste of money from an impulsive buy in Italy.

"More like a lady of royalty," Anna comments.

"How about a swan?" Mary Margret suggests, smiling at her friend widely.

Emma smiles back, loving the way she looked in the mirror, but the grin masked the fear she felt inside and the wondering what would come next.

 _A/N: Hey guys, I'm back, hope you didn't think that I'd forgotten about this story did you? This chapter is a lot of girl talk and some fun. Hope you enjoy it and please review._


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

"Another cup of tea, my sweet Zelena?" Arthur asks as the two were spending the day together… or rather the day in bed together.

The couple from hell were continuing to get closer and closer to one another with each passing day. Zelena was warming up to the mysterious man, who seemed to always want to spoil her and the baby. He was very accepting of her strong and slightly vain personality, he didn't mind that she was carrying someone else's baby, and he especially loved learning all about her. She found him dangerous, but also exciting; she could tell that he had a lot going on beneath the surface and she was dying to know what sort of secrets he held. He was strong, confident, smart, and amazing in bed. The lawyer had been skeptical of him in the beginning, but now, she felt like he really cared for her and he wanted to spend as much time as he could with the feisty red-head that she was.

"No thank you, the baby has had quite enough," she says, scrolling through her phone while wrapped in her silken sheets.

"Jacob" comes back with a cup of coffee for himself and climbs into bed next to her. He adored her spacey apartment, so much better than the hole he'd been staying in. For the first time, when Zelena asked to spend the night at his place, he was actually honest that his apartment was a dump and not nearly good enough to hold her presence inside of it. He also could not offer healthy foods for her and the baby either. She understood and did not question it any further.

Arthur King noticed that the dynamic and devious red-head was trusting him more as time went by. In the beginning, he could tell that she was just as cautious and more skeptical as he had been when they first met. Neither seemed to trust one another, which seems wise in perspective. However, now it seemed she'd give him everything he'd ever wanted and perhaps more. There were times when Arthur had to remind himself the whole purpose of dating Zelena Mills was in the first place.

It was obvious to him that neither Emma nor any of their other friends liked this lawyer, which made keeping tabs on his former captive much harder. He had to cut back on his spying in order to make time for this wicked woman who gave him immense pleasure. But like a tiger in the jungle, he is patient. He managed to get bits and pieces from his girlfriend, which would benefit him, but Arthur wasn't sure how just yet. Yes, the threatening letter had worked, it put the blonde on edge, but he was not living up to his word. He wasn't watching her every move nor was he stalking her teenage son or the boyfriend… he felt like he should. Deep inside, he partially regretted writing the letter to Emma. It put her guard up. On his stake-outs, he'd watch her lock all the windows and doors, she'd barely leave the house unless it was absolutely necessary, and even then, she would not be alone with the baby. While it scared her, it didn't give him the chance to snatch baby Sophie… his daughter. While the name was…decent, he didn't fully like it. If Emma had stayed captured and given birth to the baby girl while in captivity, he would have named her Angel, Willow, or even after his mother. It better suited the product of his nights with his captive. He had had little say on naming Megan back when she was born, and here was the blown opportunity to name his daughter a more desirable name. He still didn't have a plan, and he kept kicking himself for wasting time with this woman… and yet, he gave her his fix, she was ambitious and dangerous, a real vixen that pulled him in with her charms and body.

Arthur gets back into bed with Zelena, he begins nibbling on her neck, giving into his passions once again. Since she wasn't showing signs of being pregnant yet, the two could be as ambitious as they wanted, but she had warned him that when the baby does start to show, they would have to take more care. At least, he'll still be able to sleep with her. When Gwen was pregnant with both their children, he was not allowed to touch her at all.

However, despite his advances, Zelena is more engrossed in her phone than him.

"Come on babe…" he purrs, kissing her shoulders and running his hand up and down her back. He moves his hand up her thigh, which he knows is a turn on for her. "Let's have some fun…"

"Just give me five minutes," the red-head says, basically pushing him away. She could feel her resistance melting as Jacob runs his hand up her thigh. Her body is flushing and weakening to his demands, but she had to see something. She moves over to get out of his smooth touch.

"Wouldn't you believe it?" she scoffs, killing the mood instantly.

Jacob sighs, he doesn't want to listen to another gripe session about her sister or any of her other former friends.

"What?" he mutters in disappointment.

"Ruby just posted on her _Instagram_ ; Emma in an Italian dress, one that my sister brought back from Italy and gave to her, even though I could fit into much better than she could."

With the mention of Emma, Arthur, immediately fights to see the screen. His breath catches in his throat when he sees Emma in a beaded dress that makes her look very hot. Motherhood had enhanced her breasts to a very satisfying level, much more than Gwen's ever did and anyways, his ex-wife had a mastectomy not long after Ben stopped nursing. She claimed that she was at a risk for cancer, as it ran in her family, but Arthur saw it as another one of her poor excuses to repel him away from her.

While he thought Emma was very hot, he knew he had to support his girlfriend, so begrudgingly he says, "Well, she did just have a baby, so yes you would fit it much better."

"I mean how could she lose weight like that so quickly and fit into an Italian dress no less,"

"Jacob" tries not to roll his eyes. Zelena is making it seem like Emma had stolen something from her or killed her dog. It was a stupid dress… the main issue underneath was likely that Regina had given it to Emma instead of her. Every time the two trash-talked anyone, Regina Mills was the first victim. Whether it was her weight, her style, her failure with men; Zelena had bashed every single aspect of her sister in front of him and it was coming a bit tiresome and fairly annoying. Arthur holds his tongue and avoids saying anything.

"I wish beyond all hell that she'd stayed missing," the red-head hisses, biting her tongue.

Arthur King grins at that declaration.

"Ever since she got back, it's been nothing but Emma, Emma, Emma; it's not like she stopped world hunger or survived a war. She had a baby because she got knocked up, and yet Ruby and Regina's Instagram accounts are just full of pictures of baby Sophie. And what a stupid name too."

Arthur just lets her talk, knowing better than to say something to make her madder, but he did, in fact, agrees with her last statement.

"She also has this amazing guy and this dress is for their anniversary dinner next week."

"Wait, what?" Arthur asks, his heart skipping a beat. He leans over to gaze at the caption on the screen.

 ** _My girl's dress for her one-year anniversary, so jealous!_**

 _Is it too good to be true? Could he finally have what was his?_

"Yeah, I can't believe they actually stayed together. If I were Killian, I would have dumped her crazy ass long ago and moved on."

"Does it say anything else about their anniversary? Like where or what time?" Arthur asks curiously.

"No, why would it?" Zelena asks, closing the app seeing her boyfriend getting a little too engrossed in this information.

"Jacob" pulls back and tries to collect himself… His mind races as he thinks of an excuse that wasn't creepy.

"Nothing… nothing. I'm… just thinking if he might have some… good ideas about where to take a lady for an anniversary date."

"Really? I had no idea you cared about such things," the woman smirks.

"Normally… I don't, but you, my sweet Zelena, deserve the very best."

"I thought you said I wasn't a lady?" she teases, putting her phone aside and focusing her attention on him again. Her heart races in excitement, finally ready for his advances again.

"Only in bed are you not…" he purrs, happy that their conversation was shifting to what he wanted. He begins kissing her neck again and running his hand up her thigh. He is more excited than before and ready for the next step.

He grabs her aggressively and kisses her with extreme passion. Zelena accepts his weight and runs her hands through his hair, which she noticed is becoming a dirtier blonde in the past little while. Ignoring any suspicions, she embraces the passion. Everything became easy for them afterwards.

Arthur is happy, but in many ways beyond what his girlfriend assumes. He now had knowledge that would prove to be very helpful in the future… very helpful indeed


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Emma paces the floor of the master bedroom, her dress laying out on the bed ready for her to wear on her anniversary date with Killian. She had his gift laying there too, a Rolex watch. She had some money saved up to splurge just a little bit for him and she knew this was a special enough occasion to do so.

She cannot believe it's been a whole year since the two of them went on their first date. Both could count the infamous perp chase that brought them together at an old bar down by the harbour, but their first date was much more meaningful.

She had dressed in a pink/white dress with short sleeves and heels, she had even pulled her blonde hair up into a ponytail for the occasion. Mary Margret and David were there to keep an eye on Henry and were present when the docks man knocked on the door. Killian dressed all in black with his famous leather coat and presented her with a red rose as a gift.

"Swan, you look… stunning," he'd said.

"You look…" she said, unable to really speak.

"I know," he grinned cheekily.

After they complimented each other, Emma could see that David was not happy about this exchange at all. Like a protective big brother, he was on guard and eyed Killian suspiciously. Mary Margret, on the other hand, was taking pictures, much to Emma's mortification. Henry had made himself scarce, likely because he didn't like the thought of his mom dating someone who was not his father. She had discussed it with him, and while the teenager didn't fully like the idea, he accepted it in his own way. Like a father watching a daughter go on a date, David warned Killian about keeping her too late and then they left, going to an Italian restaurant across town. He'd offered to buy her a drink, but she declined, and he slyly suggested that she'd find him irresistible after a few "libations." But she said no to the smug comment and said she'd rather not go home to her son drunk.

Then they were able to really talk for the first time and introduce themselves properly; Emma surprisingly opened up to him. Even though he'd said that she was an open book, she told him about her life, her job, her son, and he told her about where he'd lived, the places he'd travelled and the loss he'd encountered. But the blond-haired girl could tell that he was not mentioning these rather hard topics to gain sympathy or to get her into bed as she'd often encountered in her one-night-stands, he did it because he liked her and trusted her with these details. While she was guarded at first, by the end of the evening, they both had a good idea of who they both were… broken people who'd experienced hardship and had built their own kinds of walls to protect themselves, Emma more than Killian, but the two had a connection that could not be severed so easily. He'd kissed her at the end of the night and she invited him in for coffee, with her fifteen-year-old son likely playing video games on the couch and her friends, one of whom was a cop and would interrogate him like a criminal and the other would take pictures to blind him. He politely declined but stated that he wanted to take her out again. Despite her misgivings about relationships because one-night-stands were usually how far she'd go, especially after Neal, Emma Swan said yes. She was willing to give a real relationship a try, which was like taking a step off a cliff into a deep ocean for her. It frightened her to some degree, but it was also exciting. Afterall, it had been two years since Neal had left them and she'd vowed she wouldn't be hurt like that again and yet… Killian Jones was different... She couldn't quite describe it, but she was drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. Maybe it was because he'd saved her life during the chase, or maybe because he treated her like a true lady and with the respect she deserved. The two then exchanged numbers and said good night, leaving Emma with a smile on her face and Ruby begging for the details the next day.

The blonde reflects on what has happened since then. She'd been abducted, he'd almost killed himself in a car accident over the guilt he felt, the two were reunited, found out they were having a baby, moved in together, and were now raising a daughter together. Life certainly did not go the way she expected it to… In some ways, it was a good thing, in others it seemed so scary. The old Emma Swan would have said goodbye at the door that night, or even before she'd met him at the bar, but the new Emma Swan had changed, let her walls down to allow love back in, and while it certainly was not easy, she felt that he was the best thing to ever happen to her… and her family.

Sophie begins to make noises in her bassinette. Emma goes over to see her daughter kicking and looking up at the crystal unicorns as they danced above her. She wondered if Sophie knew that kicking her bed would make the mobile move yet. The little one was growing so quickly, but at least everyone she cared about was here to see it and the two of them were not locked away in some cabin, held there by a madman… if she was even kept alive after giving birth. She knew that Arthur King kidnapped her for one reason, and that reason, while not his genetically, is now staring up at her mother with her real father's bright blue eyes.

"How can I protect you?" she whispers to her little girl.

The threatening letter is still buried in her closet, she knew it by heart. She fears for her daughter's safety and everyone else she loves. He hadn't struck yet, maybe he never would and was just doing it to taunt her…

She didn't think that was possible that he would give up and move on; the man was fixated on procuring Sophie as his own and it made his former captive sick to her stomach.

She scoops her daughter up and holds her against her chest tightly.

"I won't let anything happen to you," she whispers. "I promise."

Suddenly, the doorbell rings, startling her and making her jump.

"It's Mary Margret, Mom!" Henry calls from downstairs.

Emma goes down to greet her friend and is surprised that Jacob is not with her this time. She hugs her best friend tightly.

"No Jacob?" she asks.

"Father-son bonding night," the teacher says with a grin. "Plus, it's about time David learned how to change diapers."

"He seriously doesn't change diapers," Emma asks.

"When was the last time Killian changed Sophie?"

"Last week,"

"And not since," her best friend snickers. "And how is the little princess?"

"Active," Emma answers.

"Emma, why aren't you dressed yet?"

"What? I still have time."

"No, you had time half an hour ago, now, give the baby to me and go get changed,"

"But…"

"GO!" her dark-haired friend insists.

With much reluctance, Emma hands Sophie to Mary Margret and then goes upstairs. She changes into the altered Italian dress and then goes to do her makeup. She continues to stare at the dark circles under her eyes, knowing that it wasn't healthy to lose so much sleep, but she couldn't help it. Not a million sessions with Dr. Hopper could cure the nightmares she had whenever she closed her eyes at night. She is afraid to go to sleep and watch the horrors of her abduction all over again. She hides the circles with the strongest concealer she can find, but she knows it's not enough to mask the pain she truly feels. She is a walking nightmare… nothing could heal what she felt inside.

She manages to find one moment of quiet in her mind when she pulls her hair up into a ponytail in honour of their first date. She forces herself to smile; a year later and she is still a broken woman, maybe more so than before.

She comes downstairs to go through the childcare list with her best friend.

"Oh Emma," Mary Margret says, standing up from the kitchen island with Sophie in her hands. "You look so beautiful."

Emma blushes and smiles. "Thank you." She playfully curtsies before getting down to the business at hand.

"So, there are two bottles in the fridge," she says. "Don't heat them in the microwave, Killian learned that the hard way…"

"I know Emma, so did David."

"There are leftovers in the fridge for you and Henry if you're hungry, but there's also tonnes of stuff in the pantry."

"I know Emma,"

"Uh… her toys are in the nursery and scattered around the house; extra diapers under the changing station, burping rags in the linen closet… If you want to take her outside the stroller… no wait, it's too dark for that so forget that. If she gets fussy you should…"

"EMMA!" Mary Margret says loudly, putting her hand on her friend's arm to stop her from hypnotically milling about the house giving instructions. The two make eye contact.

"Everything will be okay. Don't worry, I understand how hard it is to leave your baby with someone else, even if it is only for a few hours. It's scary and nerve-wracking, but don't worry. Henry will be here if I need help, but I have had more experience than a regular babysitter might have."

"Only a few extra months of experience," Emma mutters. She keeps staring at the clock, her silver shoes tapping nervously. She wonders where Killian is, was he held up. Their reservation was at 7 and they couldn't miss it.

She fixes her hair and puts her evening purse together; the one she only brings out for special occasions. She packs her keys, lip balm, tissues, phone… she pauses, looking at her other purse and wondering if she should bring her gun, just to be safe… She hesitates longer than she anticipated. She takes a deep breath, looks at Mary Margret who's cradling Sophie expertly and her son, who sits at the kitchen island, looking through some of his study notes and chowing down on pretzels. She sighs and decides a night away from all the paranoia will not kill her.

"Where is Killian?" she mutters, beginning to pace a little bit.

"I wonder what's keeping him," the teacher agrees.

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door.

Confused, Emma and Mary Margret look at each other and then Emma goes to open the door. To her surprise, Killian stands there, dressed in his best black clothing and holding a red rose in his hand. His blue eyes drink in her beautiful form.

"Swan… you look,"

"I know," she blushes, feeling the parallels from their first date.

He then steps into his house and looks around like he was a stranger instead of entering his own home. He then presents her with the rose.

"How did you manage to shower and change without coming home?" she questions.

"Robin let me keep my things at his place, I felt it appropriate to pick up my date the proper way," he smiles.

Emma blushes and smiles. She knows they have to keep their flirtations to a minimum as her best friend, her daughter, and her son are all watching.

"Sophie should be in bed a little after nine. We shouldn't be too long after ten" Emma says, coming over to kiss Sophie good night. The kiss lingers as she cannot bear to let her baby girl leave her sight. "Henry should be in bed before eleven if we get stuck in traffic or something."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," the teacher says calmly.

Emma then goes to kiss Henry on the head. "Study hard and take care of your sister," she whispers.

"I will Mom, now go have fun."

Killian also kisses his daughter goodnight and ruffles Henry's hair, murmuring a "good night lad" to him. Emma then grabs her jacket, spends a long time gazing at her daughter, before Killian puts his hand on her back, reassuring her; he kisses her cheek and the two go out the door.

"Are you driving?" Emma asks.

"Aye," he smiles as she tosses him the keys to her bug. "Let's go have a good night."

As the couple get into the car and prepare to leave, they are unaware of a truck idling nearby, watching the house with extraordinary patience for the yellow bug to drive off into the night.

Once the yellow car is gone, the shadowed stranger in the truck, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, waiting…


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

"Good evening Sir, good evening Madame," the host at the door says with a warm smile. He stands at a podium examining the next hour of reservations when both Emma and Killian approach.

"Hello," Emma says. "We have a reservation under Jones for 7 o'clock."

"Ah yes, here it is, would you like to follow me?" the host says after checking the book. He then takes some menus and begins to lead them to their table.

Emma takes a moment to examine the décor of the restaurant. It looks rather fancy with carpeted flooring, fancy plants and ornaments littered around the place, modern light fixtures, and even a pianist playing soft melodies in the corner. Clearly, she and Killian are not the only couples having a quiet date night, several other couples are sitting at their tables, either toasting with an expensive bottle of wine, eating fine cuisine, or merely just talking in hushed tones to one another. The atmosphere is what surprises her the most. It's quiet, with the exception of the piano music, which could be considered barely audible unless someone really listened hard. Emma had been unsure as to why Killian had picked this place considering how expensive it seemed, but now she understood. He wanted them to have a quiet evening to themselves. No hormonal teenagers playing loud video games, no crying babies screaming for a bottle and no phone calls from friends asking them how the new arrival is doing.

It seems that her docks man boyfriend understood her better than ever before… He knew she needed to get away from the house, the stress of their chaotic lives and simply be with one another. Despite the fact that they saw each other every day and slept in the same bed every night, the two of them had barely had time for one another; had time to talk and simply connect with one another. While she is still very much in love with Killian, she could feel the strain in their relationship with baby Sophie and her secret… the secret that is eating her alive. And while her blue-eyed Prince Charming may not know what she knew, they were having this date so they could relax and forget about everything… He understood her plight and pain the most, despite not knowing everything that had been occurring…maybe she'd always be an open book to him.

Once they are seated by a set of windows that look out onto the dark Boston street, both of them examine their menus. Emma is looking at the prices. They aren't crazy expensive, but they are not cheap either.

"Anything you want Love, I'm paying tonight," Killian says with an earnest smile.

"Killian, I can't possibly ask you to…"

"Swan, we share a home, a mortgage, a child, and a life now, allow me to pay for this… remember it's the anniversary of our first official date. I paid back then, and I'm going to pay now. And nothing you can say or do will stop me from doing so."

Emma gives a grin. "Nothing?" she asks cheekily, raising her eyebrow. She reaches across the table and caresses his left hand gently. She slowly begins to stroke his forearm, leaning closer and closer. She smiles when she sees his cheeks flush.

She then impulsively leans over and kisses his lips, knocking over an empty glass as she does so. Neither of them cares who might be watching. They are both lost in each other. The sexual tension between them is almost impossible to cut.

"How about now?" she whispers. All the terrible thoughts in her minds seem to have melted away. No flashbacks, no feelings of fear, no dread in the pit of her stomach… just pure love, everything else was forgotten at that moment. She knew how much it hurt Killian when she refused to intimate. He understood that it was all from her trauma with Arthur King, but she knew he missed those moments when the world seemed to stop, and it would just the two of them. Even though they had only experienced one another sexually a few times, she'd missed the softness of his skin, the feeling of his hair going through her fingers, the scent of salt and rum on his breath. It had been so intoxicating, like a drug she wants to continue getting high on, and now she wants that feeling of lust back, shoving the horrible memories aside to simply kiss him again.

"Aye," he breathes, doing his best to hold back the passion. He bites his lip, knowing what Emma was after. Despite her aversion to contact because of the kidnapping, he wants to savour this cheeky and impulsive move by her. His heart ramming against his chest, he wants to pull her across the table and into his lap, hold onto this fleeting moment when there was no fear or trauma standing in the way of their love. He embraces the taste of her lips, feeling as if it had been forever since he'd last feasted upon them.

The couple then remembers that they are in a public restaurant and Emma sits back down, trying to collect herself. She puts the knocked over the glass back up and fixes her dress.

"Good evening to the both of you," a waiter says, bringing a pitcher of water for them. "Can I recommend a glass of wine or perhaps a bottle for the both of you?"

"Thank you, but no thank you, we have a baby at home who is nursing," Emma says politely. "But Killian you can drink something if you want."

The couple both knew that Emma longed for a drink. Both had used the benefit of alcohol to numb their pains of loss before, making them forget their pasts, but the blonde has never had that experience since she'd been rescued and was pregnant. And again, now with nursing, her daughter, not a strong drink could be consumed.

"No Love," Killian says. "As long as you are not drinking, neither am I."

"Killian don't do that to yourself…"

"No Swan, it's all right. In fact, let's still have something with bubbles. Do you have any sparkling cider?" he asks the waiter.

"We do, shall I bring you two glasses of that?"

"Yes, please."

Emma looks at Killian with a grateful smile. For a brief moment she'd forgotten that it was their anniversary, and even though she couldn't drink anything strong, they could still celebrate.

Her boyfriend reaches across the table and strokes her hand with his thumb. The two become lost in each other's eyes for so long that the waiter has to clear his throat several times to get their attention.

After they've ordered, the couple sits in silence for what seems like forever. It feels rather awkward and Emma swallows as she realizes that her happy, impulsive moment of passion has faded and she's back to being nervous. It makes her sad that she seems to pull away from the man she loves again. It felt like she had been submerged in deep, dark water for a long time, being pushed and weighed down by fear and anxiety, only to float briefly to the surface, allowing herself to breathe and see Killian's face, feel his arms around her before she's pulled back under again. Her chest tightens as her mind goes to her baby daughter at home.

She begins checking her phone repeatedly, waiting for anything… a call from the police saying Henry was in a car accident or someone had broken in, a call from her best friend saying that Sophie's in the hospital with some illness, a call from the fire department to say that they'd lost everything or even a call from him... threatening everything that she loved.

"Do you think something's wrong?" Emma blurts her thoughts aloud.

"What? No Love, of course not."

"What if something happened and she can't get to the phone…"

"Emma…" Killian says, reaching over and grabbing both her hands, forcing her to drop her phone. "Love everything will be fine."

"What if Sophie needs more milk or she can't find the diapers…" she stares out the window into the dark street, so very afraid.

"Emma!" he says strongly, waiting for her to face him. He gently rubs circles into her hands with his thumbs. "Everything is fine. Mary Margret knows what she's doing and Henry's there to help too. I know it's hard to leave our little lass at home, but she's safe… you're safe… we're all safe."

The blonde gives a reluctant smile and takes in a deep breath to calm herself down. She knows she's being irrational and paranoid, but she can't help it very much. With Sophie always in the forefront of her mind and from her horrible experiences in captivity, it's clear she can't let go as easily as she'd like. She understands that Killian just wants to help her relax and smile again. She knows she's been focusing so much on the helpless baby, she forgot about this amazing man in her life that she seems to be taking for granted.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry love, you're a wonderful mother and this just shows how much you care. And I love you for it."

Miss Swan blushes and smiles, Mr. Jones winking and then gently kissing her hands the way a gentleman would.

"I just hope you're right," Emma mutters to herself.

…

There's a knock at the door. Mary Margret has just gotten Sophie to finish her evening bottle and is trying to burp her. The baby makes soft noises as the teacher walks back and forth, rubbing the back of the infant. She walks past the kitchen island where she's Henry's nose in a comic book rather than studying his notes. She snatches the comic away and puts it on the kitchen table. The teenager opens his mouth to protest, but Mary Margret shoots him a stern look, warning him what fighting this might do. He goes back to reading his notes as another round of knocking starts.

"I'm coming," the teacher says, patting Sophie gently before opening up, not thinking to check behind the white curtains draped over the window of the door first.

"Hello? How may I help you?" she says in a cheerful voice.

A dark figure stands at the edge of the porch, his face hidden by shadows. His big, thick work boots seem planted on the wood beneath him and he's dressed in all black. His hair is difficult to distinguish shade, and he holds a large bag in his hand.

"Does Emma Swan live here?" a dark harsh voice asks.

This catches Mary Margret off guard, the deepness of the voice and the edge to his question immediately unsettles her. She holds Sophie close and holds onto the door in her hands.

"Y-Yes, she does, but she's out for the night. Maybe you can come back tomorrow?"

The feeling of dread is filling her stomach with each passing moment. She immediately regrets answering the door.

"But I need to see her now, it's an emergency."

The raven-haired woman can vaguely see the man's eyes, staring hungrily at her, or to be more precise, the baby.

"She has something that I deserve."

"I…I think you have the wrong address. Please leave."

The man steps closer, but Mary Margret begins shutting the door.

"You cannot make me," he sneers.

"I can if I call the cops," she says sternly. She pushes the door shut, but a thick boot stops her from doing so. His hair fingers curl around the door's edge and he looks into the woman's hazel eyes. Mary Margret's blood runs cold and she swallows a large lump in her throat as she tries to shut the door.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that Miss Nolan…" the voice sneers, using his strength to push it open and enter the house.

 _A/N: Sorry for the long hiatus, my Descendants and Once crossover is doing so well, the demand to update constantly is hard to meet sometimes. Please review. Special thanks to Sammii16 and randa180 for their recent comments._


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Mary Margret screams out, still pushing on the door, trying to keep this intruder out, but he is far stronger than she is. Her heart is pounding loudly in her ears and the breath in her throat cannot be exhaled. She feels as if she's drowning in fear.

"HENRY!" she screams, her voice strained from pushing against this monstrous man.

The teenager, who had heard the entire exchange has dropped his books and run to try and aid her. He grabs the nearest thing he can find for a weapon, which happens to be a sharpened pencil. He runs over, ignoring Sophie's frightened cries, to help push the intruder back. The man's gloved hand is wrapped around the door as he struggles with the two of them. Impulsively, Henry stabs the man's hand with the pencil, which causes him to recoil and shout in pain. He steps back, allowing for the both of them to slam the door.

Mary Margret puts the lock and chain on it and tries to catch her breath. She's wheezing heavily and still adrenaline and panic are coursing through her body.

"What the hell?!" Henry is saying to himself. "What the hell?! What the F*** is happening?!"

She knows that this will only hold the man for so long. She needs time to think, but Sophie's frightened screams and Henry muttering curses under his breath is not helping with her thought process. She gazes at Henry and then to the kitchen island, where her phone is. She tries to remember where Emma kept her gun or if she was able to find any other types of weapons. While most of the time she prefers non-violent methods of defence, she has no idea what this man's intentions are and how dangerous he truly might be.

"Henry," she gasps, her mind still racing heavily. "Do you… do you know where your mother keeps her gun?"

"Yeah, upstairs in her room why?"

"Grab Sophie and go upstairs to your parent's room."

"What? Why? What's going on?"

"I-I don't know… but he's not going to stop here. He'll find another way in… we need to protect ourselves. I'll meet you up there in a minute…"

"What about you?"

"Just worry about your sister right now!" she orders, this was no time for questions, it was time for action.

Confused and equally afraid, Henry feels like he's starting to run on pure instinct. He races over into the kitchen and picks up a screaming Sophie. He places her against his shoulder but does little to soothe her agitated state. Both he and Mary Margret gasp when there's rattling at the door; the teacher was right, and he wasn't going to quit until he had what he wanted. In the frenzy, he also grabs his phone and then races upstairs to his mom's and Killian's room.

Mary Margret races into the kitchen to grab her phone and then goes to the nearest kitchen drawer. The door is still rattling with more and more aggression. She knew it was only a matter of time until he broke through or found another way inside. She searches through the drawer, but when she doesn't find what she needs, she goes to the next one. Her heart is threatening to burst through her chest as she finally finds the biggest butcher's knife she can find. Gripping the handle tightly, she races to the basement door and locks it. She then goes to the back door and deadbolts it as well.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Henry rushes into the master bedroom and lays Sophie in her bassinette.

"It's okay Soph…" he says, trying to sound soothing as she continues to scream. The cries are becoming almost numbing to his senses as the teenager tears his way across the room and digs into his mother's nightstand. He finds all the ammunition, but his heart drops when he realizes the gun is missing. He hurries to her holster, which is in the closet, but it's empty too.

 _Where the hell could it be?!_ He can feel himself beginning to hyperventilate in a panic, trying to find out where it could be. He can still hear the pounding on the door from downstairs. He can also hear Mary Margret's frantic footsteps racing across the hardwood floor.

"MARY MARGRET!" Henry yells from the doorway. "I CAN'T FIND THE GUN!"

"WHAT?!" the teacher shrieks in terror at this realization as she comes from the back room having locked the door.

"IT'S NOT WHERE SHE USUALLY KEEPS IT!"

"WELL, WHERE THE HELL COULD IT…"

Before she can even finish her sentence, a fist smashes through the glass of the door, causing Mary Margret to scream so loudly that it makes Henry nearly jump out of his skin in fear. She looks at the door in unbelievable fear, tears now streaming down her face.

The gloved hand and the dark coat of the man are seen sticking his arm through the shattered hole in the door, trying to find the lock.

Next to the door on a nearby table, Mary Margret sees a handle sticking out of one of Emma's handbags. She realizes immediately that it's Emma's gun. Why it was in her purse, she had no time to ask questions. Keeping the knife raised she races towards the table as the stranger's hand continues to fumble with the lock. She grabs Emma's whole bag and then goes racing towards the stairs.

"HENRY!" she screamed. "I GOT IT! I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!" She does, however, slip a bit while climbing the stairs.

However, what the teacher had not anticipated was how quickly the man would unlock the door and get into the house. She's almost half-way up the stairs when a gloved hand reaches out and grabs her ankle.

She loses the grip on her knife and she screams as loud as she can as the strong hand tries to pull her down the stairs again. Her stomach and elbows take the brunt of the fall and she feels the sharpness of the wooden step hit her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She kicks at him with her other foot and she tries to use the bag to hit the man in the head with it, but the contents spill everywhere, and he still has a tight grip on her ankle. She fumbles with the gun as the man continues pulling her down towards him. She cocks the hammer and aims it at the man, hesitating but she must be prepared to protect her and the children at all costs. However, to her horror, the gun is jammed and before she can do anything else, the man has her in his grasp before she can do anything else.

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you," the man hisses under his breath as he pulls Mary Margret into a chokehold, cutting off her air supply. She begins seeing black spots in her vision as she continues to struggle.

…

Upstairs, Henry hears Mary Margret's cries for help and the sound of her seemingly being choked. He panics, unsure since he doesn't have any other type of weapon in the room except coat hangers.

He then remembers the wooden baseball bat that his dad had bought for him and they would sometimes play ball with it. The only problem was, it was in his room.

He knows he has to help Mary Margret so he rushes down the hall while trying to call for help. Immediately he regrets being a teenager as his room is a complete mess and that adds time to his search for help. Ignoring the scattered clothes on the floor, he goes for his closet and begins shoving things out of the way, trying to find the bat. He hears the phone ringing, and he thinks he's dialled 9-1-1, but his heart drops when he hears his mother's voice. He must've pressed a button that began spelling out a contact's name instead of hitting 9-1-1. He tries to keep the phone under his chin as he uses both hands to dig.

"Henry?" his mother's voice is heard as he continues to dig through the mess in his closet. "What's going on? Is everything…"

"Mom!" he shouts, as he realizes he has to dig through one of his packaged boxes from moving to get the bat. "A man is breaking… into the house… he has Mary… Margret… I need…"

He doesn't get a chance to say anything else as the phone falls from his chin and onto the floor. Unable to think straight, the teenager rips open the first box he finds and digs for the baseball bat, the entire time he can still hear his sister screaming in terror.

However, just as his hands wrap around the wood of the bat, an arm reaches out and pulls him into a chokehold, cutting off his air.

"Listen, Kid, I won't hurt either of you, I just need to get what is mine," the voice sneers.

 _A/N: I'm back, please review._


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Emma nearly has a heart attack when her phone goes off, vibrating on the table. She looks down at the number, feeling regretful that it was taking away from their date. She wants to ignore it, but she becomes worried that it might be important.

"Go on Love," Killian says, knowing it was better to just let her answer it.

The call is from Henry. At first, all the worst-case scenarios rush through her head, Sophie is sick, Sophie is hurt… Henry is hurt, something happened… After taking a deep breath, she thinks that maybe Mary Margret had a question about what kind of lotion to use when changing Sophie or what time Henry should go to bed again, but the moment she hears her son's voice, her heart drops into her stomach.

"Henry?" she says with worry in her voice. "What's going on?"

"Mom!" he practically yells into the phone, causing Emma to wince at the volume. Her heart begins to accelerate at the fear and panic in her son's voice. "A man is breaking…" there's interference in the call and her son's voice fades in and out. It sounds as though he's going through things and in the background, she can faintly hear Sophie screaming. "…into the house… he has Mary… Margret… I need…"

Suddenly, there's a loud sound on the opposite end.

"Henry! Henry!" she screeches, practically shouting into the phone. She immediately bolts up from the table, knocking the drinks down and begins racing towards the door.

"SWAN!" Killian shouts in a panic as he runs after her.

He grabs her arm at the door. "What's happened? What's going on?"

"A man broke into the house, he has Mary Margret and he now has Henry."

"Is everything okay sir?" the host at the door asks, having seen the sudden rush.

"Someone broke into our house," the docks man explains. "Can you please call the police?"

"Yes sir," the host says, rushing to grab the restaurant's phone. Killian shoves past Emma out of the restaurant to get the car, leaving the blonde in a frenzy. She can hardly breathe at all and she's shaking almost manically. She can barely hear anything over the sound of her own racing heart.

It was happening. Arthur King was true to his word and he was about to take everything from her. Tears well up in her eyes and she's about to run out the door when the host catches her arm. Her stomach burns with anxiety and fear, the monster had her children and her best friend in his grasp, she can't even think straight when she feels the man's hand on her forearm.

"Let go of me!" she shouts, trying to fight his grip.

"Miss, please what's your address so the police can…"

Emma suddenly sees the yellow bug go racing away from the restaurant at top speed and her heart drops into her stomach. In the flurry of the chaos, Killian has left her behind. Whether it was intentional or not was longer important as she runs outside and tries to race after the car as it careens down the street at almost dangerous speeds.

"KILLIAN!" Emma shouts, trying to run after him, but she doesn't see a puddle on the sidewalk and slips in her heels. She falls to the ground becoming soaking wet and ripping her dress. The host seemed to follow her and several of the restaurant staff have come out to help. A female waitress helps the blonde stand up.

"Oh, you're bleeding!" the woman says, looking at her both scraped up knees. However, Emma does not care at all, her boyfriend just left her at the restaurant while he went to face an unknown enemy… the man who'd abducted her. She continues to sob as she tries to fight off the hands that were merely trying to help her.

The seconds turn into minutes as a dishwasher from the back of the restaurant comes out with Emma's purse. The young teenager eventually finds the "If Found, Please Return to…" in her purse and gives the address to the host who is still on the phone with 9-1-1. Several customers and near passersby are starting to gather due to the chaos unravelling before them.

However, Emma doesn't hear any of it. The world seems to stop and everything goes into slow-motion. She has to get home to her children and help Killian. If it was Arthur King, he would kill everyone she cares about just to get even. It had been a while since she'd done pursuits, but she had to get home now.

Running on pure adrenaline, Emma turns to snatch her purse from the dishwasher's hands and then races out into the street and flags a cab that has pulled up in front of the restaurant, likely called in by an intoxicated customer. She shoves her badge in the driver's face, telling him that she had to commandeer this vehicle. She practically must pull the man out of the vehicle as she shouts she's with the Boston Police Department to everyone watching. She ditches her heels and steps on the gas.

She weaves through traffic, blowing through red-lights and honking to tell everyone to get out of her way. Her body is coursing with adrenaline, she has to get home and save everyone she loves. She nearly misses the turn that leads into her neighbourhood.

She careens down the street and stops in the middle of the road. She can see the bug parked on the curb, meaning Killian was already inside. Knowing she doesn't have a weapon, she goes into the trunk of the cab and pulls out a tire iron to use. She then races through the gate and up the wet path completely barefoot. She can see the lights on in the house and the shattered remains of the door. It looks like it was practically torn off its hinges as she goes inside, ignoring the broken glass on the floor.

"KILLIAN!" she shouts. "HENRY! MARY!"

There's no answer, not even the sounds of Sophie crying.

Emma's heart threatens to shatter her chest as her panic starts to take over every part of her body. She can see the mess on the stairs, likely taken during the struggle and she freezes in place when she realizes that her gun is missing. How the man was able to find her weapon it is beyond her, but she hurries upstairs with the tire iron still in hand. She doesn't care that her feet might be bleeding, her children needed her.

She races down to Henry's room and can see there are signs of a struggle on the floor. She hurries into her room and looks down into Sophie's bassinette. Her heart stops when she sees that it's empty. She practically collapses right then and there when she hears what might be muffled sounds coming from her closet. She can see that the door is shut and there's a chair in front of it.

Emma removes the chair and opens the door to find her son and best friend with their arms and legs bound with duct tape and tape over their mouths. They look at her, she can see the sheer panic and fear in their eyes as they struggle against their bonds. Tears are staining their faces and they appear to be covered in grime and dishevelled from the struggle. There also seem to be bruising forming on their necks. Emma is immediately on the floor, ripping the tape off their mouths.

"Emma…!" Mary Margret gasps.

"Mom!" Henry says weakly, his voice cracking from fear.

"Mary… Henry, are…are you okay? What's happened? Where's Killian?"

"He took her Emma," the teacher weeps as the blonde works to free the both of them. "I'm so sorry he took her… I-I tried to s-stop…"

Emma is now fighting her own tears as she painfully rips the tape off their hands. Her entire body shakes with fear as she tries to stay focused on helping those in front of her. The thought of Arthur taking her daughter makes her want to throw up and collapse right then and there. Everything becomes silent around her, no further sound enters her mind as her body goes completely numb, not entirely able to comprehend the situation. Her body seems to seize up with these moments and her heart just seems to stop completely. The only thing that keeps her going is the leftover adrenaline. She knows she has to find Killian, maybe he's cornered Arthur and maybe they can end this now... maybe...

In the distance, she can hear sirens coming closer and closer, as the police come to aid them, but the sound that scares her the most is the sound of a noisy truck revving up and disappearing into the night, taking with it two of the greatest things she ever loved.

 _A/N: Two chapters n one day. I hope you enjoy it._


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

"Mary!" David says in relief upon seeing his wife. He races into the hospital room and wraps his wife in the biggest hug. He is practically in tears with worry after he got the call from the station that his wife had been attacked. "Thank God you're okay!"

"I'm fine David, a little bruised, but I'm fine." While Mary Margaret is saying this to calm her husband down, she felt far from fine. The trauma of what she'd just endured is still haunting her to the point where her hands are shaking slightly from fear and anxiety. She had looked into the eyes of a madman, been choked into near unconsciousness and held at gunpoint. How her husband endured being at the bad end of a gun every single day of his life is beyond her comprehension.

David could see the bruising on his wife's throat where the monster had choked her. His hands curl into fists and he grinds his teeth. He fights back tears that are burning in his eyes and lets out an exasperated breath. He cannot believe that someone would have the balls to do this to his wife and his godson. He was going to kill this man if it was the last thing he did. No one touched his wife, and no one hurt an innocent child without expecting to be strangled by him. It was his version of justice for such a monster.

He shuts his eyes tightly and takes in a deep breath. He holds onto Mary Margaret tightly and gives her a kiss on the forehead. She then turns and the two of them kiss extremely hard. Both begin shedding tears over the fear of nearly losing one another. The teacher had been afraid that she might never see her husband or son again as that man bound her and locked her in the closet with Henry, while he took a screaming Sophie. She also feels unbelievable guilt over not being able to protect Emma's children. All the way to the hospital, she kept apologizing to Emma, but the blonde didn't seem to hear it as she was in her own little world of shock. She wishes that the gun hadn't jammed, and she wished that everything had been different, that she had defended herself and the children in her care.

When the couple breaks apart, the two merely touch foreheads as David holds her hands tightly, never wanting to let her go. The fear in his stomach burned like an inferno mixed with the rage that someone had choked his wife and could have easily killed her.

After a long time in each other's arms, the uniformed officer then turns to look at Henry, who sat in a hospital bed next to his wife. Emma sits in a chair next to him, almost in a complete daze, tears staining her face. He can see the bruising on the teenager's throat as well, feeding the fire in his guts. He was going to take down this monster if it's the last thing he did. David takes a deep breath and tries to appear calm for the boy's sake.

"Henry are you okay?"

The teenager nods slowly and willingly accepts a quick hug from David as well. Once the officer steps back, the man could see that Henry's face is as pale as the white walls of the hospital, showing how extremely spooked he was. His hands are shaking too from the pure fear coursing through his body. His mind keeps flashing back to what happened… it all went so quickly that it felt like a blur, one minute he was searching for the baseball bat, the next he's tied up with Mary Margaret in the closet, listening to the man's heavy footsteps and the frightened cries of his sister fade away as the monster took her. His stomach turns violently, so much so that he ends up turning and becoming sick in a bucket next to his bed. The nurses said that he was experiencing a serious form of shock; the boy had vomited once in the ambulance and so the staff had placed a bucket nearby in case it happened again.

David rubs his back as Henry dry heaves a bit and coughs. He is shaking like a leaf and all the officer wants to do is make him feel better. Emma seems to snap out of her daze to help her son, she hands him a fresh glass a water in order to avoid him becoming dehydrated.

"Take it easy Henry," David murmurs quietly.

"B-But… it's all my fault," he whimpers, wanting to take the glass of water from his mother, but his hands are shaking so much that Emma asks a nurse to get him a straw.

Emma's stomach drops out from under her, a new wave of pure guilt coursing through her body. Her knees become extremely weak, bile climbs up into her throat, and she cannot hold the glass for her son to drink from any longer. She quickly gives it to David and races out of the room. She frantically searches until she sees the sign for the bathroom at the end of the hall. Her legs are running on borrowed adrenaline as each step feels like an eternity, everything else is a blur to her as she hurries to the wheelchair accessible bathroom, hand clamped over her mouth. There might be voices and people around her, but she cannot hear them any longer.

She barely makes it before she collapses against the bowl and is violently ill. Everything that she'd been holding in for the past few months; the secrets, the guilt, the anger, the fear, everything surges through her body as her stomach empties itself into the toilet. Sweat beads on her forehead and tears stream down her face. It felt exactly like when she was in captivity having morning sickness with Sophie. It feels like she's expelling her guts to the point that nothing will come out, no matter how hard she forces it too. Her stomach feels empty and her mouth is disgusting, but it doesn't matter. It feels as though she's been stabbed with a red-hot iron spear, from her head straight through to her feet burning her insides. The pain is indescribable as she continues to dry heave and gasp for air. Her lungs no longer work and she's drowning in everything that's happened. She brought this on herself; she should have said something, fear should not have stopped her from trying to protect her family and now…

Emma collapses sideways onto the tiled floor, not caring if it was filthy or not. Her body no longer has the strength to stay upright, all the energy she had gone out when she threw up. Her frail frame begins to shake from the pain and the tears keep staining her face, rolling down into her blonde hair as she lays on the floor. Her ears are ringing, so no sound can enter, and her mind is a tangled whirlwind of horrible thoughts. She lets out an anguished scream, thinking there is no other way to express her throbbing grief and guilt. She gazes almost blindly into the fluorescent lights above her and she only hears her own heartbeat before everything goes black.

…

When Emma opens her eyes, she's in a dimly lit room. She's laying on a bed and there's an IV in her arm. Her head is pounding in pain, despite laying on a pillow and she can still hear her heart, threatening to break her chest with all the power her body can muster.

She begins to wonder how the hell did she get here and then she sees Elsa sitting in a chair next to her.

When the platinum blonde realizes that her friend is awake, she immediately stands up and wraps Emma Swan in a tight embrace.

"Oh my god Emma!" she squeaks, no longer able to hold back her tears. "Are you okay?"

At first, she says nothing, Emma realizes that her throat is raw, probably from the screaming. She turns to see a glass of water near her nightstand. Breaking from Elsa's hug, Emma takes a small sip of water and then begins to speak.

"What happened?" she asks, her voice still a bit hoarse.

"I was coming down the hallway to see you, Mary Margaret, and Henry, when you ran out of the room like it was on fire. I called out to you, but you didn't hear me, and I watched you enter the bathroom. Both David and I chased after you, only to find that the door seemed stuck. We heard you scream something awful, and David practically had to break the door down to get in. There was a heavy metal garbage can in front of the door, I think you might have knocked it over when you entered. We found you on the floor unconscious and David carried you to the nearest nurses' station to get help. They put you in a quiet room and gave you an IV to prevent you from becoming dehydrated."

"Where… where is everyone else… Henry…"

"Regina is with him. He was pretty scared when you ran out of the room like that, but she finally managed to get him to sleep for a little bit."

"And Mary Margaret?"

"She's okay, David is with her, so I stayed with you."

"Thank you," Emma whispers quietly.

"You're welcome, but what happened Emma? What made you get sick and what made you scream?"

Tears just well up in her eyes again and Emma just pulls Elsa into a tight hug, sobbing as she does so. While her friend has no idea what's going on, she provides the comfort the blonde needs.

Emma weeps heavily, still unable to get rid of the awful feelings that swirled around inside of her. These feelings would plague her for the rest of her life. She did nothing and now Sophie and Killian are in grave danger.

All she manages to say to Elsa is.

"It's all my fault…"

 _A/N: Thank you for the continued support from everyone and here is a new, very intense chapter for you. Please review._


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

"This is just great…" Arthur hisses to himself as he speeds his way out of Boston, running from the law for the second time in less than a year. His sweaty hands grip the steering wheel of his truck as tries to keep his eyes on the road.

Of course, he can barely himself talking because of the screaming infant lying in the back seat. The damned baby that he'd spent so much time stalking and waiting for the moment to grab her. His daughter was finally his to keep. He'd broken through Emma's carefully planned defences and snatched the child that he had made her carry for the past nine months. While he hated the name she was given, he could always change that in the future.

Little Sophie continues to scream her lungs out in fear, occasionally being shifted and bumped against the rough material of the seat every time the truck hit a crack or grove in the road. She was not safely strapped in a car seat and was merely lying there amongst Arthur's tools and few fast food wrappers. Obviously, she was too young to understand what was happening, but the unfamiliar environment, loud noises of the truck engine, bizarre rhythmic movements and no one familiar to hold her, it was reason enough for her to be crying. Her tear stained face reflected the rapid beams of streetlights that shone through the window as they sped along the highways and into a more wooded area. The intense lighting also frightened her immensely. She kicked and squirmed as she was helpless to do anything, her tiny foot barely touching a stun gun that was fortunately sheathed for the time being.

A stun gun that her abductor had used to also kidnap her father.

Killian Jones had taken Emma's car and had gone careening through the streets of Boston towards the home he shared with his girlfriend, her son, and their daughter. He weaved around slow-moving cars and ran all the red lights, not caring if this got him in trouble with the law. His family was in danger and he was going to save them, no matter what the consequences may be.

Once he reached the house, he nearly forgot to put the car in park before hopping out. He could all the lights on in the house, the door that was wide open, obviously opened by force to point that it nearly came off its hinges. He didn't even bother to open their white picket front gate, the adrenaline pumping in his veins causes him to hop over it and rush inside.

"HENRY! MARY! SOPHIE!" he shouted as loudly as his voice can manage. He scans the place, seeing the disaster, the contents of Emma's purse strewn about on the floor, the scuff marks on the stairs where people obviously struggled.

"MARY! HENRY! SOPHIE!" he screamed again, his throat almost completely raw by how much it hurts to scream at the top of his lungs.

Suddenly, he heard a door slam. It takes him a moment to realize that whoever this bastard was, he just went out the back door. Killian rushed out the front door, thinking he can cut off the monster before he can get away. As he hurried outside, he could hear the sounds of his screaming daughter. His heart threatened to break his chest when he realized that someone is trying to kidnap his daughter, and possibly Henry and Mary Margret too. His mind clouded over, and he went into enraged and rescue mode, he used Sophie's screams as a guide to finding the kidnapper. He went across the porch and leapt over the wall, landing in some of the garden bushes and not caring if he'd hurt himself. Once he was beside the house, he scanned through the darkened tree line, trying to see the form of whoever might be trying to leave with Sophie. Fortunately for Killian, his daughter continued to wail into the night and it seemed the abductor didn't want the harm the infant in order to silence her. He pushed his way through the trees, nearly tripping over the fence again. He landed in the grass next to the sidewalk and he saw a truck that was running. His child's voice came from over the roar of the engine and a shadowed figure placing something into the back seat. Wasting no time, Killian hurried over, grabbed the man by the shoulder so he could face him and socked him in the jaw. The docks man then tackled the man to the ground, pounding on him until the monster was subdued. He was taking all his aggression out on this man; this bastard who dared to touch his daughter and take her away from him. He doesn't care who the man is, as long as he pays for what he was trying to do. Killian used every curse word that came to his head, he didn't care how much pain his body would be in, or how bloody his knuckles would be, his mind thought of killing the man, ever dark thought entered his mind in the frenzy of blood and adrenaline. He is barely able to see his face through his constant punching and the lack of street lighting where the truck is parked.

Once the man seemed to be put into unconsciousness, Killian was brought back to reality by the screams of his daughter. He stopped, got off the man, and went to fetch her from the back of the truck. Just as he was about to wrap the infant in his arms, the man sprung back to life, reached into his coat and hit the docks man in the back with a stun gun, the very same stun gun that had been used on his girlfriend, many times before.

Killian felt his body seize up, he no longer had control of his limbs. He collapsed back onto the grass, with the man standing over him. With his body completely numb and twitching, Killian's blue eyes rolled back into his head, unable to see the attacker any longer. The man then used the stun gun again, forcing it into the docks man's stomach. Foam began forming in the victim's mouth as he twitched unnaturally at the man's feet. He then removed Emma's gun from his pocket and hit Killian in the head with it until he was unconscious.

Arthur King, now badly beaten and bleeding, he felt satisfied for having gotten the better of Emma Swan's protective boyfriend. All that could be heard was the crackling of his gun, the baby crying and…

Arthur froze when he could hear sirens in the distance. Knowing that his victim could identify him, plus all the DNA evidence on the docks man's rings, against his panicked judgement, the attacker grabbed the victim under the arms and lifted him into the flatbed of his truck. He then covered the unconscious body with a tarp, shut the back end of the truck, slammed the door to muffle the sounds of Sophie's screams and hurry to the driver's side of the still running vehicle.

He got into his truck, did a U-turn and took off, never looking back.

Now Arthur was unsure of what to do next. He had two kidnapped victims, one that won't shut up and the other who would beat him to a bloody pulp when he woke up. His face is also throbbing badly, and he thinks one of his teeth has been knocked loose by Emma's boyfriend wailing on him with such aggression. His ears are numbed from the screaming, and his mind was a complete mess of what to do next. He never intended to take the docks man with him, it was an impulsive move in order to leave no further witnesses. In the back of his mind, he kind of wished that he'd also grabbed the boy and the woman to keep from any further witnesses. However, he knew that he couldn't keep so many hostages. His first and only intention was the baby, easy because she can't talk and was small enough to hide. The man was a different story. He knows there is no way that he's going to get over the state borders again, especially with a missing baby and live body in the bed of his truck. He was lucky the first time with his kids and Emma, but he knew that this was no longer true. He had to do something, he needed a new plan.

Finally, he's fed up with the crying, he has a massive headache and it needs to stop. He pulls over to the side of the road in a cul-de-sac. He puts down the passenger and reaches over to grab the screaming infant. Her face is shadowed but visibly red from her distress. He holds her the way he used to cradle his own children. He gently strokes her head, which he knew often had a calming effect on youngsters. Sophie, while still very much confused, lessens her crying in response. Arthur then reaches under the seat and pulls out the baby blanket with her name written on it. The very blanket that he'd stolen not too long ago. He wraps her in it and then begins singing quietly, a lullaby he used to sing to Megan and Ben when they were young.

The voice and smell are very unfamiliar to the tiny girl, but the soothing motion of his hold, the warmth wrapped around her, and quiet melodic tone of his voice causes Sophie to finally calm down and stop crying completely. She continues to look up at the man who held her. It was not a face she knew, but his continued singing made her eyes begin to droop and finally close. Unfortunately, due to the darkness in the cul-de-sac, Arthur could not see the vividness of her blue-eyes, a clear indicator that she was not his child.

Once she's finally asleep, Arthur King stops singing. He kisses the innocent angel's forehead as he does for all his children. While he has no idea what he's going to do next, he can say one thing for sure.

"Go to sleep my little princess, and rest. Now to take care of the other guest."

 _A/N: I'm sorry that it's been so long since I updated, but here's a new chapter, just in time for the new year. I hope you enjoy it. Please follow and review._


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

"Emma, there's no possible way that this could be your fault," Elsa says, trying to comfort her friend. "The man who broke into your house was a complete monster who attacked an innocent woman and two children. What kind of maniac would do that?"

"The kind that would kidnap a woman in order to get her pregnant," Emma answers, swallowing the large lump in her throat.

"What do you mean?" Elsa says in confusion. Her friend's statement implied something that hadn't been thought about for quite some time. It didn't seem possible; they had all moved on from it and life seemed to be returning to normal for everyone. The new house, the new baby, life could not be better for Emma and her family. How could it be… "It… it wasn't him, Emma, it was another man, someone…"

"Named Arthur King," the blonde finishes, without any hesitation in her voice. She squeezes her eyes shut tightly as some tears manage to struggle through and run down her cheeks. She grips the hospital blanket in complete despair, wishing that this nightmare would end; that she'd wake up in her bed with Killian's arms wrapped around her and she'd hold him tightly before getting up to feed Sophie and then waking Henry up for school. She wants to pinch herself awake, but when she opens her eyes again, Elsa is still there, looking concerned border lining on frightened now.

"Emma, that's not possible, he's… he's been missing for months, no one has seen him… besides, why would he come back for you?"

"To get what he thinks is his," Emma whimpers, wiping tears from her eyes and clenching her hands into fists so tightly that they are shaking.

"You don't mean…"

Emma just nods, grinding her teeth together, wishing that she'd done something when that letter arrived; not tried to deny it or believe that she was burdening people with it. Clearly, it had come back to bite her in the ass, in the worst possible way. And now… she was certain that the man who had harmed her body and ruined her psyche had kidnapped two of the three most important people in her life.

At first, she didn't want to believe that Arthur had taken Killian, after all, her boyfriend was a strong docks man who would have fought tooth and nail to protect their daughter, but after he had not shown up at the hospital, camped out either next to her or Henry's bed, she knew something was very wrong. For a second, the worst thought crossed her mind, to the point where her body wanted to be violently sick again, but since she and David had come to the hospital, there were no reports of a body… for now…

Emma's head throbs in deep pain and anxiety and her stomach twist violently again, so much so that she needs to lie back and shut her eyes to prevent nausea from taking over. She knew that once Arthur discovered that Sophie was not his daughter… he'd take that sadistic anger out his other captive. It's obvious that no matter how tough Killian was, he couldn't survive forever at the hands of a monster. The blonde's breathing becomes laboured and sharp, her body burns as she begins to hyperventilate. Elsa immediately notices her friend's change of state and she rushes to call a nurse. As the professionals attempt to help Emma return to a stable state, the platinum blonde hurries down the hall fumbling with her cell phone to try and call Jack, to tell him that he can't sleep tonight, he had a new case that would be life or death.

…

"Too easy," Arthur grins to himself as he slips out of the Wal-Mart that he'd broken into. He'd driven for another hour after finally getting Sophie to sleep until he found a place where he finds supplies.

His mind was just as exhausted as anyone's would be after abducting two people in a single night. His brain narrowed in on doing one task at a time, not thinking too far into the future and the overall plan of action. It appears as though he was running purely on borrowed adrenaline by now. The instinct to escape and survive had taken over. For now, he hardly felt the sting of his wounds or the soreness of his muscles, most likely from the exertion of running from the cops AGAIN. However, he knew that eventually, this feeling would not last forever and his body would want to crash. He had decided then that he'd find a someplace to gather equipment and his thoughts.

Arthur had used his crowbar to open up the employee's entrance of the superstore and steal what he needed, shoving it into a large camping backpack he'd found in the Outdoors section. He grabbed medical supplies such as rubbing alcohol, bandages, ice packs, and pain killers from the pharmacy; baby clothes, bottles, formula, diapers, baby food, and a pacifier to use on Sophie if he couldn't get her to shut up again. Finally, he grabbed duct tape, ropes, bungee cords, chains, ammunition for his gun, and a few kitchen knives. He then left, without even bothering to shut the door.

He then drives to a nearby gas station on the outskirts of some random hamlet that he'd found while driving. He parks his truck in the back brush so no one could see it or what was in the flatbed of his vehicle. He then enters the bathroom to clean himself up. It was obvious there was nothing he could do about the black eyes or other bruises except put ice on them, but he treated his split lip and any other cuts with the rubbing alcohol. It almost felt like déjà vu, remembering when Gwen had stabbed him with the screwdriver in an attempt to help save Emma from being kidnapped by him again. Now, it was the blonde's precious boyfriend who had attacked to prevent Sophie from being kidnapped by him; the child whom the idiot still thought was his. He checks his teeth, testing to make sure he still had them all. One of them was a bit loose, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He swears his nose is broken from the intense pain that comes from touching it, but he can't go to a hospital; no doubt his face would be all over the news again, for the first time in months. While he wished he had simply grabbed the baby, having another hostage could still be beneficial, plus he now had a punching bag to take his anger out on. This moron could now go through what his girlfriend has experienced, the fear and sadism of being at the mercy of a monster.

Once he's bandaged up, Arthur returns to the truck and pulls out the supplies he needs to restrain Emma's boyfriend. For a brief moment, he thinks about using the rope but decides duct tape is the best option. He hops into the flatbed of his truck and removes the tarp to reveal Killian's unconscious body. Despite the darkness of the brush, Arthur could see that his victim had also sustained injuries during their struggle. His body was now still, clearly, the volts of electricity from the stun gun had worn off, leaving him in a void of unconsciousness, which would be just what he needed.

Arthur flips Killian over onto his stomach and puts his knee on the docks man's back, pressing the docks man's bruised and bloodied face to the rusty metal of the truck and in an attempt to keep him still in case he woke up. Arthur pulls his victim's hands behind his back and tapes them together extremely well, adding extra layers in order to know for sure that the captive won't be able to get free. He then tapes the legs together in a similar fashion. Finally, he turns the idiot over onto his front, stuffs some torn cloth into his mouth and then tapes his mouth shut.

Once he's certain that the fool will not be able to escape or make any noise, Arthur puts one tarp over the body, weighing it down with rocks that he finds in the nearby brush. He then uses the rope and spare bungee cords to tie another tarp over the entire bed of the truck.

Pleased with himself, Arthur starts up the truck and drives along the highway until he finds a back road covered in gravel that leads into an area with trees. He can feel his body coming off the adrenaline and knows he needs to find a quiet place to rest and collect his thoughts. Satisfied that they will not be found, Arthur clambers into the back seat; he takes Sophie and puts her up front in the passenger side. He stuffs the pacifier into her mouth and then stretches out over his back seat, able to finally rest, going into deep unconsciousness with a smile of satisfaction on his face.

 _A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the hiatus, but here's a new chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Please follow and review_.


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